Apparel industry key to creating jobs, pushing exports: Economic Survey

The Economic Survey for 2016-17 tabled by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in parliament on Tuesday said that apparel, leather and footware industries have enormous potential for creating jobs as well as for exports.
The survey said the three sectors are eminently suitable for generating jobs that are formal and productive.
“These sectors provide immense opportunities for creation of jobs for the weaker sections, especially for women, and can become vehicles for broader social transformation in the country,” the survey said.
According to the survey, the country has an opportunity in the global context to push exports due to rising wage levels in China.
“India is well positioned to take advantage of China’s deteriorating competitiveness due to lower wage costs in most Indian states,” the survey noted.
Besides, the survey listed a number of challenges faced by these sectors.
“The space vacated by China is fast being taken over by Bangladesh and Vietnam in case of apparels and Vietnam and Indonesia in case of leather and footwear, while Indian companies struggle in face of a set of common challenges related to logistics, labour regulations, tax and tariff policy and disadvantages emanating from the international trading environment compared to competitor countries,” the survey pointed out.