India’s exports of textiles and apparel, including handicraft products, rose to more than $33.5 billion in the 2025-2026 financial year, reflecting sustained growth in the sector.

TV BRICS reported this on Thursday, citing the Parliament of India.

The country’s textile and apparel exports stood at about $30.7 billion in the 2023-2024 financial year, translating to a compound annual growth rate of 4.7 per cent.

India’s Minister of State for Textiles, Pabitra Margherita, said the country’s textile products were exported to more than 100 countries during the 2025-2026 financial year.

Mr Margherita said the government was working closely with industry stakeholders to improve the global competitiveness of India’s textile and apparel sector.

He said the government was implementing an export promotion and market diversification strategy targeting 40 priority countries.

The minister also said import duties on cotton had been suspended from June 1 to October 31, 2026, to ensure an adequate supply of raw materials for domestic textile and apparel manufacturers.

According to him, the government has also approved a programme to improve productivity in the cotton sector from the 2026-2027 to the 2030-2031 financial years.

He said the initiative would address production bottlenecks, improve efficiency and enhance the quality of Indian cotton to strengthen the industry’s competitiveness.

(TV BRICS/NAN)