The original estimate of 291.30 lakh bales of cotton produced in India has been revised to 291.35 lakh bales (170 kg each). According to the Cotton Association of India (CAI), the modification was brought about by higher output in the state of Odisha in the southeast. In the meantime, there has been a slow trend in the trade of cotton consumption, imports, and ending stockpiles.
In its April 2025 report, CAI lowered its initial forecast of cotton consumption for the current season from 315 lakh bales to 307 lakh bales, a decrease of 8 lakh bales.
Man-made fibres like polyester, viscose, and others are fierce rivals to cotton. As the percentage of man-made fibres reaches up to 98 per cent, compared to 72 per cent to 75 per cent for cotton, Southern textile factories are increasingly inclined to use synthetic fibres instead of cotton. Cotton usage has also declined due to labour shortages.
Furthermore, in the most recent report, the CAI lowered its cotton export projection from 16 lakh bales to 15 lakh bales, a reduction of 1 lakh bales. Over the seven months since October 2024, 10 lakh bales of this have been exported. India’s cotton exports are likely to fall by 13.36 lakh bales this season, down from an estimated 28.36 lakh bales last year.
Cotton imports have been limited to 33 lakh bales, with only 27.5 lakh bales imported as of April this year. Compared to the 15.20 lakh bales imported during the previous season, this amount is more than twice.
Cotton ending stocks are expected to climb to 32.54 lakh bales by 30th September 2025, up from 30.19 lakh bales at the end of the 2023-2024 season.
Between 1st October 2024 and 30th April 2025, cotton production totalled 268.20 lakh bales, with an average of 1.28 lakh bales pressed every day. 16.56 lakh bales were pressed in April 2025 alone, indicating a decrease in imports. Over the last seven months, over 185 lakh bales—or 26.5 lakh bales per month on average—were consumed.
According to estimates, spinning mills had approximately 35 lakh bales in store as of the end of April 2025, which is equivalent to 45 days’ worth of normal use. The national average is 42 days, with mills in the north of India having 60–75 days of stock and mills in the south and central areas having roughly 30 days.
The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), the government’s nodal body, along with traders and ginners, had around 95.89 lakh bales of cotton in stock.
