Bengal Garment Sector Seeks Showroom Hub At Rajarhat

An association of West Bengal's garment industry is seeking land, closer to the city, for production and showcasing its products, officials said on Wednesday.

While acknowledging land offers from the state government, manufacturers are raising concerns about location, potentially hindering the sector's growth.

The West Bengal Garment Manufacturers & Dealers Association (WBGMDA) was pressing for a dedicated showroom hub for garment makers at Rajarhat, New Town.

"We require at least 4-5 bighas to build a common showroom complex at Rajarhat. This would allow buyers to easily visit the showroom and access to offers of our members under one roof. Visitors can make deals conveniently as New Town is near to the airport," Devendra Baid, Secretary of WBGMDA, told PTI on the sidelines of the 55th B2B (Business to Business) buyer-seller meet.

Such hubs will help boost export, which is just around five per cent from West Bengal, he said.

Asked about the garment park, Baid said the state government has "proposed land in far-off areas like Kalyani, but manufacturers have expressed concerns about travel costs and time constraints".

"Our industry requires frequent visits to factories. If production bases are in distant places, it becomes unviable," Baid explained.

He said the association asked the state government to offer land at locations closer to the city area".

The cluster scheme is not "suitable" for growth as the state's development plan, offering just 5 bighas per cluster, is "deemed grossly insufficient".

"One large garment unit itself needs about 1 bigha. The current scheme is impractical for our needs", Baid said.

Despite demand challenges, the industry remains optimistic. With 95 per cent of its business being domestic, demand fluctuations due to consumer spending are acknowledged but not seen as major bottlenecks.