Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Tuesday, announced that textile and apparel parks will be established in Uttar Pradesh in honour of devotional mystic poet Sant Kabir, with skill development and employment generation for the youth as the primary goal.
Sant Kabir’s foster parents were the Muslim weavers.
In a high-level review meeting, the Chief Minister said that Uttar Pradesh, with its rich heritage of handloom and textile products, has the potential to secure a strong position in the global textile market, projected to reach USD 2.3 trillion by 2030. “This scheme, inspired by Sant Kabir’s ideals of hard work, simplicity, and self-reliance, will strike a balance between tradition and modernity while creating new opportunities for investment, production, and employment,” he said.
According to official data, Uttar Pradesh is among India’s top textile and apparel exporters. In 2023–24, the state exported goods worth USD 3.5 billion, 9.6 per cent of the country’s total textile exports. The sector contributes 1.5 per cent to the state’s GDP and employs nearly 22 lakh people directly, with traditional clusters in Varanasi, Mau, Bhadohi, Mirzapur, Sitapur, Barabanki, Gorakhpur, and Meerut playing a key role.
So far, 659 proposals have been received on the Investment Sarathi portal, requiring 1,642 acres of land. These proposals amount to Rs 15,431 crore in investment and are expected to generate around 101,768 jobs. Each park will cover a minimum of 50 acres and include a common effluent treatment plant along with facilities for ancillary industries such as buttons, zippers, packaging, and warehousing.
The scheme will be implemented through the PPP model or a designated nodal agency, with the government ensuring priority infrastructure such as roads, electricity, and water supply. The Chief Minister directed officials to expedite land identification and development work to enable quick implementation.
Taking another major decision, the CM instructed officials to engage directly with powerloom weavers to reduce their production costs, boost incomes, and strengthen the traditional textile industry. He emphasised that the government is already providing subsidised electricity to weavers and should also explore solar energy integration. “Weavers are the symbol of hard work and tradition; their handmade fabric is recognised across the world. It is our duty to support them,” he said.
The Chief Minister expressed confidence that the Sant Kabir Textile and Apparel Park Scheme would not only bring large-scale investments and jobs but also establish Uttar Pradesh as a global hub in the textile and apparel sector.