I am glad to know that M/s. Hindustan Chamber of Commerce is organizing a Textile Trade Exhibition (ASIATEX 2007) from 22nd to 25th Feb. ’07 at Mumbai. Apart from serving Textile trade and Industry, I am glad to know also that Hindustan Chamber of Commerce is carrying out its social obligations in the field of Education, Family health and other philanthropic activities.

The Indian textile industry in our country is one of the few industries, which has the potential to emerge as a true global player. In order to increase our market share substantially, we need to tap the potentially more promising and dominant market segments. We must give emphasis on product quality, cost-competitiveness and delivery punctuality with the aid of information technology and electronic commerce.

As regards the growth in fabric production it is very encouraging and the Government has experienced a growth of 7% in the last years and it is expected around 10% in the coming years. It is important note that the increase in GDP per capita in the domestic sector has led to greater disposable income with the Indian people. I believe that with a improved quality, management and competitive prices with effective delivery mechanism India can emerge as a true winner in the global market.

I congratulate the organizers of this event for putting up this Textile Exhibition, which is a step in the right direction. I hope that all the participants in this exhibition will find it to be a rewarding experience. I convey my best wishes for the success of ASIATEX 2007.