Gujarat Textile Policy: Assistance for Quality Certification

The Industries and Mines Department, Gujarat, has introduced the Gujarat Textile Policy as an umbrella scheme to increase investment and reinforce the textile value chain across all sub-sectors, with particular attention to garments, apparel, and technical textiles. The policy is valid from October 1st, 2024, to September 29th, 2029, and is designed to lower the carbon footprint and encourage green growth in the sector, which is intended to improve its global competitiveness while supporting environmental sustainability.

Under this policy, the "Assistance for Quality Certification" component provides financial aid to industrial units for costs related to obtaining recognised national and international quality certifications, including BIS, ISI, WHO-GMP, and Hallmark. The assistance also covers expenses for acquiring testing equipment or machinery, as well as their calibration charges, so that units can sustain high production quality standards.

The application process is conducted offline and is divided into two distinct phases:

- **Registration Application:** - **Step 1:** An application must be submitted to the Industries Commissioner in the prescribed format. This submission, together with all necessary supporting documents, is required within one year of the loan disbursement date, the commencement of production, or the policy operative date, whichever of these three events occurs last. - **Step 2:** Upon receiving the application, the office of the Industrial Commissioner will perform a detailed examination and verification of all relevant paperwork in line with the standard procedure. Following approval, a registration certificate is granted.

- **Provisional/Final Eligibility Certificate Application:** - **MSME Units with GFCI up to INR 10 Crore:** Following the Date of Commercial Production (DoCP), the Industrial Unit is required to file an application with the General Manager, District Industries Center. - **MSME Units with GFCI exceeding INR 10 Crore and up to 50 Crore:** After DoCP, the Industrial Unit must file an application with the MSME Commissioner to obtain a Provisional Eligibility Certificate. This filing must occur within one year from DoCP or within one year from the date the Government Resolution (GR) is issued, whichever date is later. - **Non-MSME Units:** After DoCP, industrial units that have finished their registration must file an application for a Provisional Eligibility Certificate with the Industries Commissioner. This filing is likewise bound by the deadline of one year from DoCP or within one year from the date the registration certificate is issued, whichever date is later.

Registration applications are first examined by the Industries Commissionerate, which verifies the accompanying documents against prescribed procedures. After registration, requests for Provisional or Final Eligibility Certificates are directed according to the unit’s classification, whether it is an MSME with a specified GFCI or another industrial category.

These requests are then assessed by the relevant authority, including the General Manager of the District Industries Centre, the MSME Commissioner, or the Industries Commissioner. The review confirms that the unit has genuinely spent funds on approved quality certifications and testing equipment, and that all paperwork is complete before the certificate is granted and the reimbursement released.