The story of textiles in India weaves a historical past of independence and tradition and is a key pillar of livelihood in the place.
Viscose, a guy-produced fibre witnessing world desire progress, is a new addition to India’s textile story. It is a biodegradable fibre and an different to silk and cotton. Viscose is ‘poor people’s silk’ due to the fact it is more affordable but with similar qualities.
It is not just the ‘poor’ buyers but also the weavers of the fabric, who have identified a new supply of livelihood with the output of viscose. Because of to a rise in the rate of natural fibres these types of as cotton, quite a few weavers shifted to manufacturing viscose or blended viscose fabric. Indian textile sector is continue to cotton dominated, which has constraints in offer. Cotton acreage can not be elevated as foodstuff is a priority. Consequently, viscose blended cotton is being commonly adopted as a feasible choice.
Viscose has given new hopes to the Indian weavers. Viscose fibre usage is witnessing a constant increase, where the sector grew from 542 KT (Thousand tons) in 2021 to 744 KT in 2022, a robust 37 for each cent expansion. This was only achievable as Indian textile benefit chain could obtain Viscose fibre at internationally aggressive charges. Over-all, viscose retains 16.5 per cent of the man-produced fibre current market in India. Other than being a more affordable option, flexibility in structure and software also contributes to its demand.
Even so, apart from aiding weavers, it is also important to make sure safeguards which are not protecting but conducive in character.One issue plaguing the viscose worth chain is the limited raw substance offer of Viscose Staple Fibre (VSF).
India has a constrained variety of players concerned in production VSF, with one main company contributing to in excess of 90 for every cent of the source. As a consequence, numerous weavers count on imported fibre. It gives new options to these weavers so that they can endure in the sector and be aggressive.
Anti-dumping duty
An forthcoming advancement that can be detrimental to the weavers of viscose is the anti-dumping responsibility imposition on VSF imports. The imposition of this responsibility will make the procurement of the fibre significantly more demanding and all the more pricey for the weavers. Anti-dumping obligation on VSF was to start with introduced in 2010 and ongoing till 2021. It was eliminated only following the whole industry continuously appealed after struggling for more than 11 decades. Former Textiles Minister Smriti Irani, herself had supported the elimination of duties.
Re-introduction of anti-dumping obligation will now effects many weaving hubs in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat. This is an issue affecting creation capacities and the lives of 4.5 crore persons used in the textile business. With Tamil Nadu by yourself accounting for 75 per cent of India’s man-built cellulose yarn output, this obligation can substantially hamper the State’s growth and endanger the livelihood of the 31 lakh rural textile workers in the State.
The responsibility will also effects the entire benefit chain of the cloth, as the procurement of the fibre, which is the heart of the benefit chain, will be strike.
Viscose is also the material of future. It is extensively made use of in approaching subsectors in the textile field, this sort of as specialized textiles and healthcare textiles. Most importantly, viscose is a sustainable preference thanks to its biodegradable attributes.
Therefore, the solution to India’s developing current market for viscose is not an anti-dumping responsibility. In its place, we have to have emancipatory actions which assure that weavers can procure required uncooked products with equivalent amounts of accessibility. This can only be ensured if there is no cost level of competition in the industry. We need to have to develop a level-playing industry in the sector so that pricing stays equivalent irrespective of in which a weaver purchases their fibre from.
Viscose is the new thread to India’s textile tale and has presently become a key source of livelihood. It is significant time that the country’s textile price chain is supplied the a lot-required impetus.
The author is previous Rajya Sabha MP from AP
