India’s cotton textile exports—yarn, fabrics, made-ups, and raw cotton—have crossed US $ 35.64 billion for the last three years, Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh told Parliament on Tuesday.
To spur cotton productivity and quality improvements, and enhance innovation in the textile value chain as part of the Vision 2030 master plan, the government has launched a five-year programme called the ‘Mission for Cotton Productivity’, announced in the Union Budget 2025–26. The mission is being led by the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), with the Ministry of Textiles as a major partner.
The mission aims to enhance cotton cultivation by targeted interventions like research in agriculture, grassroots extension, and strengthening institutions in all the leading cotton-growing states. One of the core elements of the mission is the evolution of high-quality cotton varieties that are climate-resistant, pest-tolerant, and high-yielding—specifically Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton—through world-class breeding and biotechnology.
In aid of these objectives, ICAR–Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) in Nagpur is spearheading a special project called ‘Targeting Technologies to Agro-Ecological Zones’. It involves large-scale demonstrations of excellent farming practices to enhance cotton yields and is being implemented in eight principal cotton-producing states with a total budget of Rs. 6,032.35 lakh (US $ 7.22 million).
Singh highlighted that the mission will give farmers the opportunity to access modern scientific tools and techniques for improving fibre quality, productivity, and climate and pest stress resistance. The scheme supports the government’s integrated 5F Vision—Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign—and is likely to increase farmer incomes, provide a consistent supply of high-quality cotton, and revive the traditional textile industry to improve India’s competitiveness in the global market.
As a part of larger initiatives to boost textile exports, the Ministry of Textiles is also facilitating Export Promotion Councils in hosting Bharat TEX 2025, a flagship international textile event. The event seeks to show India’s end-to-end textile strengths, fashion and textile innovation, and make the country one of the most preferred sourcing and investment destinations for the industry.
