New Delhi, Oct. 19 -- The government is considering a Rs.25,000-crore skilling push for the labour-intensive textiles and garments sector over the next five years, as it seeks to build a larger pool of industry-ready workers and sharpen India's manufacturing and export competitiveness amid global trade and geopolitical tensions, two people aware of the matter said.

The proposed Rs.25,000-crore outlay for Samarth 2.0 would mark a sharp increase from the Rs.740 crore spent under the existing Samarth 1.0 scheme for textile workers over the five years through March 2026. The allocation for the current fiscal year is Rs.300 crore.

The textiles ministry's proposal has been examined by the Expenditure Finance Committee, an inter-ministerial bo...