Key Markets and Government Initiatives Fuel India's Textile Surge
Delhi, 28 July – India’s textile and apparel exports, inclusive of handicrafts, surged past the ₹3.25 lakh crore mark for the 2025‑26 financial year, a rise from ₹2.97 lakh crore in 2023‑24. The sector recorded a 4.7% compound annual growth rate, data disclosed during a parliamentary briefing.
The Ministry of Textiles identified the United States, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Germany as the top five buying destinations. Export volumes to more than one hundred additional countries also climbed compared with the prior fiscal period.
Government officials highlighted a robust monitoring framework that works in tandem with exporters, manufacturers and related stakeholders to cushion external shocks and sharpen competitive edge. Flagship schemes such as the PM‑MITRA integrated textile parks, Production‑Linked Incentives, the National Technical Textiles Mission, SAMVARDHAN, Silk Samagra‑2, the National Handloom Development Programme, the Integrated Handicraft Cluster Development Plan, ROSCTL, RODTEP, the Export Promotion Mission and the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Exporters form the backbone of policy support.
A targeted export‑promotion and market‑diversification blueprint now focuses on forty priority nations. India currently benefits from sixteen Free Trade Agreements, notably the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the United Kingdom, while forthcoming accords with the European Union and New Zealand are set to broaden market access for textile exporters.
To mitigate shipping disruptions emanating from West‑Asian conflicts, the Export Promotion Mission introduced a relief initiative on 19 March 2026. Additionally, customs duties on cotton imports have been temporarily lifted for the period June 1 to October 31 2026, ensuring adequate raw‑material supply for domestic production. The Mission for Cotton Productivity, approved for 2026‑27 to 2030‑31, seeks to eliminate key constraints, elevate productivity and address quality challenges across the cotton value chain.