The Achievers: “Respect The Equal Contributor”
“Rooted in the very fibre of our country is the indigenous talent of our communities nurtured over generations. The onus is on us, as custodians of the Indian textile heritage, to ensure it reaches international consumers and captures global acclaim,” says Dipali Goenka. The CEO and joint managing director of Welspun India, Goenka believes that as India celebrates 75 years of independence, the textile and apparel industry is among the biggest growth drivers of the economy, accounting for around 5 per cent of the GDP and 12 per cent of its export earnings.
“In cotton home textiles, India is a leading player in the world with more than 46 per cent of towels and 59 per cent of sheets being exported to the US from India. Welspun is the largest towel and bed sheet player globally and is the highest among them with one in four towels and one in seven sheets sold in the US, made by us. Welspun supplies to 17 of the world’s top 30 retailers and has a distribution network spanning over 50 countries,” informs Goenka.
Leading by Example
Stating that the textile sector will continue to play an integral role in the country’s economic revival, Goenka argues that leaders and entrepreneurs have a bigger role to play in supporting the government’s Atmanirbhar drive and becoming a $5 trillion economy by 2025. She says, “Over the past decade, Indian entrepreneurship has received a major fillip due to policy reforms, taxation policies, technological talent pool, etc. Welspun India is humbled to be a key player in the domestic textiles and apparel industry.”
A Bigger Impact
In the next normal, there is a need to adopt a fundamental approach to purpose in business, delivering community impact initiatives and focusing on ESG (environment, social, governance). “We adopted the philosophy of growth with responsibility laying a roadmap for businesses to not just take on environmental and social issues but to effectively solve them.”
She cautions though that expectations regarding gender roles must change. “Women are multi-taskers but the men of the family need to start taking up more responsibilities in the daily household affairs. Women deserve the respect of equal contributors.”
