Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis commissioned the first Greenfield linen yarn and fabric manufacturing facility of Raymond Limited at Nandgaon Peth in Amravati district, which made its unit operational within 15 months.

On this occasssion, Fadnavis announced that the government has decided to earmark 3,000 hectares of land for promotion of textile hubs in Amravati district, accommodating 200 units with a potential to generate 30,000 jobs.

The CM said that the government is committed to promoting agro industries in the cotton belt of Vidarbha to provide higher remuneration to the farmers. The textile policy ensured the textile hub would be accorded higher priority in areas of Vidarbha which has highest cotton cultivation. Working on the farm-to-fabric-to-fashion-to-foreign theme, the policy reforms undertaken in textile sectors were irreversible.

Amravati, with all infrastructure facilities, is all set to become the leading textile hub of India. As many as 30 mega units and 90 small and medium scale units have taken the initiative in the textile sector. In all, 200 units in the next five years are set to deliver the change.

CM giving details about the government’s plans in the textile sector, said that the integrated textile hub would see a private-public partnership complete with emphasis on cotton cultivators growth and development. The Amravati University will have a skill development centre to impart training to meet the challenges in the textile sector, which is the second largest employment generating sector.

Amravati was also being developed as India’s biggest readymade garment hub. During the Make in India Week in 2016, Raymond had signed an MoU in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pledging Rs 1,400-crore investments in the textile sector. The first phase at Nandgaon Peth on 30 acres of land has provided employment to 800 people. The company intends to develop the project in four phases on 500 acres of land.

Fadnavis further added that he has already taken the commitment from Raymond for a cotton-driven project in the second phase, which would help local farmers.

Chairman and managing director, Raymond Group, Gautam Singhania said that they are committed to developing Vidarbha region. Of the seven plants in Maharashtra, two are in and around Vidarbha. The Raymond provides direct and indirect employment to 20,000 people across Maharashtra. The project site in Nandgaon Peth has a number of fresh pass outs of industrial training institutes handling different machines.

S K Gupta, president, Corporate, Raymond Ltd said that the employment to local ITI youths was accorded priority. They are trained on the job. However, the greenfield linen facility based on flax crop has a limited use of the cotton grown in Vidarbha. It imports the flax from France, Belgium and Netherland. The high-end linen requires flax, which is not grown in India, they have to procured from abroad.

The Yavatmal plant uses 98 percent of the Vidarbha cotton. The second phase of Nandgaon Peth plant would use the cotton procured from Vidarbha.