Indian PM gives textile portfolio to Piyush Goyal in Cabinet reshuffle

Piyush Goyal, India’s minister of commerce & industry, has been allotted additional portfolio of textiles in the latest Cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Smriti Irani, who was heading the textiles ministry, will continue to head the ministry of women and child development. Darshana Jardosh will be the new minister of state for textiles.

Goyal is the deputy leader of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament. He was earlier the minister of railways and coal (2017-19). He has also held additional charge of minister of finance and corporate affairs twice in 2018 and 2019. Earlier he was minister of state (Independent Charge) for power, coal, new & renewable energy (2014-2017), and mines (2016-17).

Goyal’s tenure has seen Indian Railways achieve its best ever safety record in 2018-19.

Goyal has had a brilliant academic record – all-India second rank holder Chartered Accountant and second rank holder in Law in Mumbai University. He was a well-known investment banker and has advised top corporates on management strategy and growth. He also served on the Board of India’s largest commercial bank, the State Bank of India and Bank of Baroda.

Jardosh represents Surat constituency, India’s man-made textiles hub, in the Lok Sabha