The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) has initiated the second phase of its Industrial Stitching Units (ISU) project, aligning with the government’s Uraan Pakistan program to enhance exports through small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This phase aims to establish 350 new industrial stitching units across Pakistan, a significant increase from the 150 units set up during Phase-I.
Key features of Phase II include:
- Enhanced Grant Support: The grant size has been increased from Rs1.8 million to Rs5 million per unit, supporting approximately 50 machines per unit to better handle export orders.
- Focus on Export-Oriented Units: Unlike Phase-I, which primarily catered to the domestic garment sector, Phase-II will allocate 100% grants to export-oriented units, aiming to boost Pakistan’s textile exports.
- Diverse Textile Sectors: The project will now cater to multiple textile export sectors, including readymade garments, hosiery, knitwear, denim, leather garments, towels, and sports goods.
In Phase-I, 93 units were established nationwide, creating 1,208 new jobs and promoting women’s entrepreneurship, with 41% of the stitching units owned by women.
The expansion under Phase II reflects SMEDA’s commitment to strengthening Pakistan’s textile industry and empowering SMEs to contribute effectively to the national economy.
