Parliament Question: Academic Institutions under SAMARTH-2.0

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2792 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.03.2026 ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS UNDER SAMARTH-2.0 2792. SHRI MUKESHKUMAR CHANDRAKAANT DALAL: DR. LATA WANKHEDE: SHRI ATUL GARG: SMT. SHAMBHAVI: SHRI ARUN BHARTI: Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंत्री be pleased to state : (a) whether any collaboration between industry and academic institutions under Samarth-2.0 will ensure skill development aligned with market demand, if so, the details thereof; (b) whether upgrading of training infrastructure and its curriculum will improve the productivity of workforce across the textile value chain; (c) whether enhanced skilling initiatives will increase employment opportunities, particularly amongst youth especially women in labour-intensive textile sector; (d) whether modernised certification and industry-linked training models will enhance standards of global employability of Indian textile workers employed in Sagar Parliamentary Constituency; (e) whether strengthening human capital through Samarth-2.0 will contribute to increased value addition and long-term competitiveness in global textile markets; and (f) if so, the details thereof? उत्तर ANSWER वस्त्र मंत्री (श्री गिरििाज ग िंह) MINISTER OF TEXTILES (SHRI GIRIRAJ SINGH) (a) to (f): Yes, Samarth-2.0 has been announced in budget speech in financial year 2025-26 by Hon’ble Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman under para 22 (e) “to modernize and upgrade the textile skilling ecosystem through collaboration with industry and academic institutions.” so that skill development remains aligned with market demand, while training infrastructure and curricula are upgraded to improve productivity across the textile value chain. The skilling initiatives prioritize women to expand employment opportunities in the labor-intensive textile sector. Samarth-2.0 aims to integrate the organized sector, traditional sector and academic institutions under a unified framework to support end-to-end skilling in the textile sector. The key objectives of Samarth-2.0 include: i. Developing a demand-driven skilling ecosystem aligned with evolving industry requirements and global standards. ii. Upskilling and reskilling the workforce across the textile value chain through technology-enabled and outcome-based training. iii. Strengthening industry-academia collaboration through structured capacity-building programmes. iv. Promoting adoption of modern technologies to enhance productivity and quality while preserving traditional textile practices. v. Upgrading training infrastructure in academic and training institutions with modern machinery, digital classrooms and laboratories. vi. Enhancing employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, particularly in labour-intensive and traditional textile sectors, with special focus on women. ****