The cluster for textiles proposed to be set up in Mysore to turn into reality as the land has been identified for the proposed cluster at Srirampura, on the outskirts of the city which falls within the Mysore Parliamentary constituency and with the Union minister of state for textiles Santosh Kumar Gangwar inspecting the proposed site to set up the cluster early next week.

Centre has released Rs 28 crore for the textile mega cluster project in Mysore which is expected to boost investment in the region and create jobs.

Mysore is already famous for its silk products and was also well-known for its now defunct textile mills, the Sri Krishnarajendra Textile Mills, set up during the reign of the Maharajas that gave employment to a large number of people. Cotton is cultivated in the region, including in the H D Kote taluk.

This comes seven months after the Union finance minister Arun Jatliey awarded the textile cluster for the city along with five other cities in India. He had set aside Rs 200 crore for the six clusters. Mysore MP Prathap Simha said that the minister will visit the land and review the project with senior officials on Monday.

Stakeholders including the Confederation of Indian Industry and Mysore Industries Association had welcomed the project even as they asked the Centre to take up the initiative to set up the facility. Earlier the state government had proposed a textile cluster near Nanjangud but it didn't come up as the government asked the entrepreneurs to take the lead in setting up the facility, sources stated.

In 2005 the state government planned to set up a textile park at Kadkola and marked 250 acres of land for the same. It didn't take off well as the entrepreneurs didn't show interest as they were focused on ancillary units while the state expected big textiles to invest here.

The proposed facility will help the city to emerge as a textiles hub as Mysore belt produces cotton and also it is close to textile centres like Tiruppur and Coimbatore. As the raw material will be available locally, it should help entrepreneurs.

Besides, it will add to the three clusters already proposed for printing, packaging and general engineering. The upcoming textile cluster is expected to boost cluster growth in Mysore.