India’s Commerce and Industry Minister- Piyush Goyal urged government to promote domestic manufacturing of furniture by importing wood at affordable rates. According to him, India should utilize the pool of skilled people here to encourage furniture making in India.
Surfaces Reporter also agrees with him on his point that India has a vast number of talented people who can make good furniture.
While talking to the concerned ministry, Piyush Goyal stated that the current global trade of furniture is about Rs 20-22 lakh crore and still “we are not there in that game, on the opposite, we import furniture”.
He suggested making the process simple by allowing to import wood without any duty.
Goyal said while addressing All India Vaish Federation's webinar on 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat-Opportunity, Challenges and Way Forward, “no duty should be imposed...wood is not sufficient in India... If we (can) make import of wood affordable and simple."
He also informed that the DPIIT- Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade is also operational towards creating a furniture cluster near a port to provide common facilities for research, testing, design and packaging.” And this area will allow us to manufacture furniture on a large scale to meet not only local but global requirements. He further added that this step would also create employment opportunities for lakhs of citizens.
Text Courtesy: economictimes.indiatimes.com