India and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday discussed opportunities for investments in India’s apparel and textiles sector in line with the different schemes and initiatives of the government.
A Saudi delegation led by the Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Khalil in Salamah met textiles secretary Neelam Shami Rao in New Delhi to advance bilateral cooperation in the textiles sector.
“The dialogue highlighted significant opportunities for Saudi investment in India’s ready-made garments (RMG) sector. Both parties discussed strategies to expand production capacities and market reach through collaborative efforts in textile manufacturing and trade,” a statement by the textiles ministry said.
The emerging area of man-made fibres and technical textiles are poised to become pillars of bilateral trade, offering opportunities to leverage synergies in raw material sourcing, technology exchange, and product development, it added.
The Indian side presented its two flagship initiatives — the PM MITRA (Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel) Parks and the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for MMF and Technical Textiles. The Saudi delegation expressed interest in aligning these schemes with Saudi Arabia’s industrial and investment priorities.
India emerged as the second-largest supplier ($ 517.5 million) to Saudi Arabia’s textile and apparel sector, accounting for 11.2% share of Saudi Arabia’s total textile and apparel imports in 2024.