07 Aug 2019

Botswana Textile and Clothing Association (BTCA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India International Textile Machinery Exhibition Society (India ITME Society) in a bid to promote trade and investments in textile and engineering sector. 

Giving a keynote address at the signing ceremony in Gaborone on August 6, the Indian High Commissioner to Botswana, Dr Rajesh Ranjan said the MoU would strengthen mutual beneficial cooperation in the field of textile machinery, parts and accessories of the manufacturing industries.

“Textile is a sector that works like a bridge between the agricultural sector and industry, as the end product for both broadly depends on the textile sector, which also provides the market for the raw material produced by the hard work farmers,” Dr Ranjan said.

Botswana and India, he said, are countries with diverse culture, fashion and traditions and this diversity is clearly reflected in the clothing present in different regions.

He further said the two organisations should use MoU to catalogue and map their clothing diversity and clearly earmark strength and specialties.

The Indian High Commissioner also urged the two bodies to also formulate an action plan to study and map the requirements of people in both countries and monitor new trends in fashion and textiles on a real time basis, as this would enable them to channel their energies in meeting the requirements and giving a boost to the cooperation.

Dr Ranjan said the agreement would help Botswana and India investors for the vast opportunities associated with the sector for collaboration and also help establish India as a valued partner for Botswana in the sector.

He said ‘Indian Textile and Apparel is a US$ 100 billion  plus industry providing direct employment to over 45 million people and accounts for 14 per cent of India’s Industrial production’ and said Botswana could tap into the industry to generate job opportunities.

The chairperson of BTCA, Mr Krishna Chinniah said the intention of this first interaction was to lay the foundation for a long-term relationship between the two bodies which shall be cemented by the MoU.

He said the collaboration would not only enable joint trade and industry, but would also benefit students, technical institutions, women entrepreneurs to connect with the industry globally. 

Botswana shall remain connected and updated on latest textile technology and research, he said.

Mr Chinniah pointed out that the India ITME Society had offered all members of BTCA to register on their corporate business networking website so that the country’s textile industry could connect globally.

The chairman of the India ITME Society, Mr Hari Shankar thanked BTCA for becoming part of them and promised them support. He invited them to take part in the upcoming exhibitions to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in December 2020. Ends