GB Nagar ready-made garment export units get nod to operate

After several rounds of discussions, the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) and export promotion department of the Uttar Pradesh government, Thursday has

After several rounds of discussions, the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) and export promotion department of the Uttar Pradesh government, Thursday has asked the Gautam Budh Nagar district administration to allow over 600 ready-made garment exporting units to operate, provided they ensure that all the norms of Covid-19 are followed in these units.

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Secretary, MSME and export promotion, Navneet Sehgal, through a letter has sent a list of 611 ready-made garment exporting companies to the GB Nagar district administration Thursday, to allow them to operate in accordance with guidelines issued by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) and the state government.

“Due to outbreak of the Covid-19, most of the export orders of these units have either been cancelled or put on hold. Besides, their consignments already shipped out are also stuck. Even the ready-made garments manufactured against orders are lying factories because of a ban on the movement/transport of goods. If they will not be allowed to restart their units, it will certainly have the worst impact on our economy,” the letter said.

Kumar further said before starting the operation, it is mandatory for these units to conduct a random RT-PCR sampling of their employees, to ascertain that none of them is Covid-19 positive. “Any worker coming from containment zone will not be allowed into these units,” he said.

Lalit Thukral, president of Noida Apparel Exports Cluster (NAEC), said with this order, the apparel and textile industry in the district will get a new lease of life. “The goods and payments amounting to around ₹7,000 crore of exporters would have tanked if activities had not been allowed to resume. We are hopeful to ship garments worth around ₹1,500 crore this month, which will bring some relief to entrepreneurs,” he said.

He further said it will also enhance the productivity of exporters as buyers can now place new orders. “Since our industry is labour-centric, their return will also improve the overall socio-economic scenario. Even the financial burden on exporters will be eased as banks often increase our credit limits once we have new orders,” he said.

The apparel sector in the district employs about 10 lakh people and the sector has exports to the tune of over ₹18,000 crore annually.

Meanwhile, mobile phone manufacturing company OPPO will also resume production with a 30% workforce at its Greater Noida unit from Friday. As per the press release issued, the company will operate t 30% of its capacity, which is in accordance with the directive issued by the authorities. “It would be operating with around 3,000 employees working in shifts of its total 10,000 workforce,” the statement said.