BELGAUM CLOTH MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION
Newly elected Belgaum Cloth Merchants Association (BCMA) President Satish R Tendulkar has announced plans to collaborate with the Goa government and the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) to promote “Shopping Tourism”.
He said the BCMA’s Board of Directors will also plan a meeting with Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to discuss this initiative.
He was speaking after being elected president of BCMA during the Annual General Body Meeting, following which the newly elected office-bearers assumed charge.
Tendulkar, who has also served as the president of Belgaum Chamber of Commerce and Industries is also known for his social work, will be representing North Karnataka’s largest textile, handloom, and silk fraternity.
Outgoing BCMA president Hemendra Porwal handed over charge to the new leadership team.
In his address, Tendulkar emphasised Belagavi’s heritage as a national textile hub, known for its sarees, yarn, and handloom craftsmanship.
“BCMA contributes nearly 65% of the city’s GDP through the textile sector and provides employment to over 35% of the local population, comparable to the industrial sector,” Tendulakar said.
“We will promote Shopping Tourism with the help of the Goa government and the GCCI to boost manufacturing and sales of Belagavi’s textile, silk, and handloom products. Soon, our Board of Directors will be meeting the Goa Chief Minister to discuss this initiative,” he said.
He also assured members that his tenure would prioritise cleanliness, parking solutions, theft prevention, women’s pink toilets, drinking water facilities, shuttle bus connectivity, safety, and hawkers’ management across market zones for large number of shoppers coming from Goa and neighbouring areas.
He further revealed that a proposal for a modern, fully equipped Textile Cluster in Belagavi will soon be sent to the Karnantaka government and Central Ministries of Textiles, aiming to transform the city into a major textile manufacturing and retail destination in South India.
The newly elected team comprises Mukesh J Sanghavi and Raju Paliwala (Vice Presidents), Mukesh Khoda (Hon. Secretary), Kamlesh Khoda (Joint Secretary), Lalchand Chapru (Treasurer) and Nitesh Jain (Joint Treasurer).
Senior members Kishore Tolani, Navratan Vora, Mohanlalji Vohra, Ramesh Bhandari, and Ramesh Jain were felicitated during the ceremony for their decades-long service to the association.
