Union Minister for Textiles Giriraj Singh looking at a product on display at the Lepakshi handicrafts stall during the ‘Bharat Tex 2026’ event in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit: HANDOUT
Andhra Pradesh received a major investment boost at the ‘Bharat Tex 2026’ with two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed for textile projects worth up to ₹4,100 crore, on the second day of the event at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The agreements were signed under the leadership of Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh Handlooms and Textiles, K. Rekha Rani, as part of the State’s efforts to attract investments into the textile sector.
One of the MoUs envisions the establishment of a sustainable textile recycling facility in Visakhapatnam, with a proposed investment of up to ₹4,000 crore. The second agreement is for setting up a garment manufacturing unit with an investment of ₹100 crore, which is expected to create around 3,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities.
Stall inaugurated
Meanwhile, the Lepakshi handicrafts stall, highlighting Andhra Pradesh’s rich handloom heritage, handicrafts, textile capabilities and investment potential, was inaugurated on Tuesday. The stall was inaugurated by Union Minister for Textiles Giriraj Singh. Organised by the Union Ministry of Textiles, the Bharat Tex 2026 event will continue till July 17 (Friday).
Rajya Sabha member V. Vijayendra Prasad, who visited the Andhra Pradesh Pavilion at Bharat Mandapam, said the State’s handloom sector had enormous potential in international markets. He emphasised the need to adopt emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) to enable master weavers to connect directly with global buyers. Noting the growing demand for authentic handmade and culturally rooted products among the Indian diaspora and overseas consumers, particularly in the United States, he said Andhra Pradesh was well-positioned to emerge as a leading global sourcing hub for handloom and textile products.
Later, Lepakshi Handicrafts Development Corporation Chairman Pasupuleti Hari Prasad toured the pavilion and lauded the Department of Handlooms and Textiles for showcasing Andhra Pradesh’s traditional handloom legacy alongside its modern textile and apparel industry. He said the State government, under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, was committed to accelerating the growth of the textile and handloom sectors through investor-friendly policies and robust infrastructure development.
The Andhra Pradesh Pavilion set up at hall number 9 and inaugurated by Commissioner G. Rekha Rani, featured a wide range of handloom, textile, apparel and garment products, along with GI-tagged products and One District One Product (ODOP) items from leading organisations and textile parks, including Guntur Textile Park, Tarakeswara Textile Park, Harish Fashions, APCO and Magic Weaves.
Representatives of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), during their visit to the pavilion, expressed interest in collaborating with the department to conduct export awareness and capacity-building programmes for textile MSMEs aimed at strengthening export competitiveness.
Officials said that Andhra Pradesh’s participation at Bharat Tex 2026 is expected to attract fresh investments, enhance export linkages and expand global market access for the State’s textile ecosystem. Andhra Pradesh is one of India’s leading textile-producing States, ranking second in silk production, sixth in cotton production and seventh in jute production. The State is home to more than 15,000 textile MSMEs, over 140 large textile units, around 35,000 power looms, and records textile exports valued at approximately USD 444 million.
Published – July 15, 2026 07:45 pm IST
