Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh visited Surat on 9 October 2026 and met representatives of the city's textile industry. According to a report by TexMart, he indicated that the government is expected to bring a comprehensive textile industry scheme within about three months. The details of the scheme have not been published yet.
The minister also repeated the government's target of building a US$350 billion textile sector by 2030, and pointed to existing programmes such as the PM MITRA parks and the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.
What Surat's industry asked for
- Zari makers – GST refunds: makers of metallic zari say they face an inverted duty structure, where tax on raw materials is higher than on the finished product. They asked for pending input tax credit refunds to be released to ease working capital.
- Weavers – yarn prices: the Rapier Jacquard Weavers Association of Surat said yarn prices have risen by up to 66%, and asked the government to monitor prices and look at low-priced yarn imports.
- Garments – GST threshold: industry proposed raising the price limit above which garments attract 18% GST from ₹2,500 to ₹10,000. This is an industry demand; the government has not announced any decision on it.
Labour questions at the press conference
The visit came while a dispute over working hours and weekly holidays in Surat's embroidery and textile units was in the news. At a press conference at the circuit house, the minister did not give a detailed answer on reports of workers leaving the city, saying he would respond after further discussions. He said mill owners and workers should see each other as one family and work together.
No official document on the new scheme has been released. BizTorq will update this article when the Ministry of Textiles publishes details.