It was a win-win situation for India and East Africa at the TextilesExchange 2021 event organized virtually on April 23-24, this year. International Trade Centre (ITC), a joint agency of United Nations and the World Trade Organization, in partnership with India International Textile Machinery Exhibitions (ITME) Society had organized this event. 

Indian and East African textile businesses shared the virtual platform to network with trading partners and explore market opportunities. TextilesExchange 2021 is under the framework of Supporting Indian Trade and Investment for Africa (SITA), a project funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).  

Delivering the keynote address, S Hari Shankar, Chairman, India ITME Society, said, “TextilesExchange 2021 platform is enabling buyers and sellers to interact based on their mutual business interests.” To this added, Govind Venuprasad, Coordinator, SITA, “Covid-19 pandemic with ensuing travel restrictions has limited opportunities to network through physical trade fairs and exhibitions.”

As textile and apparel is a women-led sector, growing and strengthening the textile value chain would lead to economically empowering women and contribute to sustainable development simultaneously.