Bihar looking to develop its textile industry to create jobs Giriraj

    Patna, Jul 19 (PTI) The Bihar government was aiming to develop its textile industry which will help the state's economy and create jobs, Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh said on Friday.
    Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 'Textile Investors' Meet' in Patna, Singh said Bihar has the potential to create substantial employment opportunities in the sector.
    "The Bihar government's goal is to build a strong textile sector that benefits the state's economy, creates jobs, and promotes sustainable development. The textile industry has a huge potential to create employment opportunities in the country after agriculture," he said.
    "Women form 70 per cent of the workforce in the sector. Bihar has a huge potential as there are 1.5 crore 'Jeevika Didis' who are associated with self-help groups. These 'Jeevika Didis' will become the growth engine for development once they are associated with the textile industry," he added.
    Singh said a national-level handloom expo will be organised in the state in October.
    He expressed commitment to promoting Bhagalpuri silk and said plans were afoot to establish a regional office in the state to support the sector.
    Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said his government was working to provide opportunities to investors in the state.
    State Industries Minister Nitish Mishra said, "Bihar has the capability to emerge as a major economic hub because of its favourable business environment. This event was organised to showcase the state's potential in the textile sector, attract investments, and create employment opportunities."
    Union Textiles Secretary Rachna Shah said that while India was a top producer of textiles and apparel, Bihar was ideally positioned to lead this sector due to its skilled workforce, ample raw materials and supportive industrial policies.
    The meet attracted over 100 participants from the textile industry, and 22 of them announced their intention to invest in the state, an official statement said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)