Textile minister urges footwear industry to leverage govt initiatives, enhance innovation

Business To Business New Delhi, 06 August, 2026:   Giriraj Singh on Thursday highlighted the increasing importance of technical textiles in the footwear industry and urged manufacturers to take advantage of government initiatives, including the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, to boost innovation, manufacturing capacity and global competitiveness.
Speaking at the inauguration of the 10th India International Footwear Fair (IIFF), the minister stressed the need to further strengthen India's footwear ecosystem.
Key points from the minister's address

• Technical textiles: Encouraged greater use of advanced technical textiles in footwear manufacturing to improve product quality and competitiveness.
• PLI Scheme: Asked manufacturers to leverage the government's Production Linked Incentive scheme to expand production, encourage innovation and enhance exports.
• Global outreach: Called for increasing international participation in the India International Footwear Fair by attracting more buyers, exhibitors and investors from around the world.
• Technology partnerships: Emphasised fostering collaborations with technology providers to modernise the sector.
• Industry collaboration: Urged closer cooperation among manufacturers, technology companies and government agencies to accelerate the industry's growth.