Shawl industry seeks separate classification

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 20

The shawl industry of the city, which has an annual turnover of Rs 1,000 crore, has sought separate classification in the export category to factually assess its share in exports.

Shawls knitted in the holy city are being exported to more than 70 countries in the world, including Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Finland, Denmark, Italy, Canada, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Russia, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, besides others.

More than 47 new manufacturing units with sophisticated 400 shuttle-less rapier looms with electronic jacquards are engaged in manufacturing shawls.

The Shawl Club of India president, PL Seth, said, “Most of these units are Woolmark Licensee as they receive raw material for shawls from Australia’s Ne Marino Wool, also known as apparel wool.”

He said, “Apart from shawls, imported wool is also used in manufacturing woollen apparels including suiting, dress material, gents Lohi and Kullu shawls.”

As many as 4,500 latest embroidery machines were installed by entrepreneurs here during 2002-09 for value additions. Besides, dyeing and finishing, woollen and worsted spinning mills cone dyeing of yarns. Printing industries are well established here to support textile units, which is now of international standard.

Another shawl manufacturer, Raman Mehra, said the statistical branch of the Director General Foreign Trade in Kolkata was engaged in segregating and collecting data regarding imports. He said, “So far shawl is clubbed with the readymade category.

As per its last figure released on March 31, 2016, export of wool and woollen products stands at Rs 3,136 crore.”

He added that, “Rough estimates suggest that share of shawls stands at Rs 750 crore. Out of this figure, the holy city exports shawls worth Rs 450 crore.”