2016: The year that was

The Index of Industrial Production (IIP), which provides quick estimates of the performance of key industrial sectors, started resurrecting upward movement during FY2015-16. As per IIP, the industrial sector broadly comprises of mining, manufacturing and electricity. In FY2015-16, IIP growth of T&C was bracing and it outstripped the growth of overall manufacturing and general IIP.

As per the latest estimates of IIP, the textile and clothing sector had a positive growth in fiscal year 2015-16 at marginally higher pace compared to 2014-15. On a YoY basis, T&C sector had shown a positive growth of 4 per cent during April-March period of 2015-16 as compared to 3.6 per cent of the last fiscal year. There have been sharp turnarounds in productions of apparel as well textile products like yarn, fabrics and made-ups during 2014-15 and positive growth trends continued in 2015-16 also.

Though the monthly growth trends in production of textile, wearing apparel and T&C have shown faltering pattern. In the first six months of FY2015-16, T&C IIP was growing at an average of 5.4 per cent, which decelerated to 2.8 per cent in last six months of the FY. While textiles and wearing apparel’s IIP, when compared month-wise, shows opposite pattern in the FY2015-16. Textiles in the first six months grew at an average of 1.4 per cent and in the last six months of the FY, it accelerated at an average rate of 3.4 per cent. On the other hand, wearing apparel in the first six month of the FY was growing at an average rate of 13.6 per cent but decelerated to an average rate of 1.9 per cent in the last six months of the FY. Overall, in the FY2015-16, IIP of T&C was up by 4 per cent compared to previous FY while textiles and wearing apparel was up by 2.6 and 6.7 per cent respectively over the previous FY.