South Gujarat Textile Processors Association

The South Gujarat Textile Processors Association was established in 1976. IT was recognized under the B.I.R. Act 1846 as an Association of employers. It was started with about sixty Dyeing and Printing Units as their members. Since then Textile Processing Industry has flourised leaps and bound in South Gujarat particularly in Surat district. There are nearly five lakhs of powerlooms in Surat which consumes yarn of about four lakhs of metric tons in preparing the grey fabrics. About two crores meters of grey textile is manufacture daily in Surat. Today there are about 350-400 Dyeing and Printing Units located in and around Surat i.e. Pandesara Sachin Kadodara and Palsana. These Dyeing and Printing Units are engaged in processing of man-made fabrics i.e. Dyeing BleachingPrinting Finishing of grey fabrics. Mostly these units are processing the grey fabrics on job work basis. They receive the grey fabrics from the Traders / Merchant Manufacturers of the market and process the fabrics as per their requirement. There are about 150 wholesale markets in Surat. The city of Surat is now known as 'Silk City'.Textile Industry plays an important role in Indian economy. It is an employment oriented industry occupying the second position i.e. after Agriculture. The power loom sector gives employment to about 6 lakhs people. Similarly the processing industry gives employment to about 5 lakhs people. Besides lakhs of people are engaged in trade transport cutting packing and ancillary industries like dyes colour chemicals textile engineering etc. Of the total production of cloth in India the synthetics fabrics accounts for 95% and 5% of composite mills. Surat alone accounts for 40%. Exports of fabrics accounts for more than Rs.500 crores from Surat. It produces cheap fabrics affordable to poor people.Textile processing industry falls in decentralized sector and has its own problems. Since sometime past the industry is passing through critical period due to high cost of raw materials wages power natural gas lignite etc. The burden of direct and indirect taxes is also very high. As a result during the last few years number of process houses have to close their activity.In the changes scenario of liberalization and quota free regine the processing industry will be required to equip themselves for global competition by modernization of processing houses. For this the Central and State Government requires to liberalise the labour laws reduce power tariff and taxes on fuels like lignite natural gas coal etc. so that this industry can compete with those of other States and in international market.The South Gujarat Textile Processors Association was always conscious and aware of the problems facing the industry and tried their best to solve them by representing before the State and Central Governments. Whenever necessary they also stood together by resorting to aggressive action. Founders of Association viz. late Shri Vrajlal Dhamanwala and Surajram Bachkaniwala provided