A one-day district-level workshop on the new textile policy 2013-18, of the Karnataka State government was organised by the Department of Handloom and Textiles, the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development of Karnataka (CEDOK) and the Lions’ Club, at the Lions’ Club Seva Mandir on Saturday to make people aware of the benefits offered by the government .

At the inauguration, the District In-charge Minister B Ramanath Rai said that public awareness is necessary to achieve advancement in the field of handloom and textile business.

The handloom and textile industry can be a good alternative to conventional industries in the region. In a few states like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Maharashtra, the textile industry has been developed even in rural areas. With the full support of the State government, there is great scope for development of the textile industry in Mangaluru, which has road connectivity as well as port, railway station and international airport facility.

Entrepreneur Govardhan Shetty stressed on research and development (R&D) in the field of handloom and textiles. He favoured on self-employment or entrepreneurship during an era where even engineers do not get jobs easily.

The Department of Handloom and Textiles Assistant Director K M Bhavikatti said that the State government wanted to create five lakh jobs through its new policy spanning five years. The policy will attract around Rs 10,000 crore as investment to the State. In addition, the government will invest Rs 1,000 crore.

The District Industries Centre Assistant Director Sathyanarayana Bhat explained the policy and its benefits.