The textile sector in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district is facing a severe crisis as a result of the political unrest in Bangladesh. Bhilwara has been exporting 50% of its yarn and denim to Bangladesh for years, but the latest tensions in the nation are causing serious problems. These commodities are expected to be worth a total of Rs. 2,000 crore in exports annually.
“Yarn and denim worth Rs. 150-200 crore were exported to Bangladesh from Bhilwara every month. This has suddenly ceased. Bhilwara’s industry is in crisis because the demand for cloth has significantly reduced. Although Bangladeshi buyers have not cancelled their orders, local producers have stopped production due to the uncertainty surrounding payments,” RK Jain, general secretary of the Mewar Chamber of Commerce, the largest industrial organisation in Southern Rajasthan, said.
There are 450 weaving, 18 processing, 20 spinning, and 10 denim industries in Bhilwara. These industries directly and indirectly employ approximately 65,000 people. These workers’ livelihoods are in jeopardy because of the current crisis because production has stopped and demand has dropped significantly.
One of the biggest textile industries in the world, Bangladesh exports textiles to the US and Europe among other nations. Some businesspeople in the midst of the crisis there think that India’s textile industry could see a significant boost if it were to take 10% of Bangladesh’s textile orders.
Experts warn that India could have to look for new export markets if the crisis in Bangladesh continues. While many think that Bhilwara plants would suffer a serious short-term setback, India’s textile industry may benefit long-term from this abrupt crisis if it can seize the chance and achieve a major breakthrough in markets that Bangladesh typically serves.
