Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence on Sunday that India’s textile sector will surpass its Rs 9 lakh crore annual export goal ahead of the 2030 target. This optimism follows the announcement of a five-year Cotton Mission in the General Budget 2025, aimed at boosting cotton productivity, especially for extra-long staple varieties, with an allocation of Rs 500 crore for the National Cotton Technology Mission.
Speaking at Bharat Tex 2025, Modi highlighted that India currently ranks as the 6th largest exporter of textiles and apparel, with exports valued at Rs 3 lakh crore. He set the ambitious goal of tripling this figure to reach Rs 9 lakh crore, emphasizing that the progress made so far, including a doubling of foreign investment in the textile sector over the last decade, positions the country well to meet this target before 2030.
The textile industry is a key employment generator, contributing 11 percent to the manufacturing sector. The Union Budget for 2025-26 has allocated Rs 5,272 crore to the Ministry of Textiles, marking a 19 percent increase from the previous fiscal year’s allocation.
Held in New Delhi from February 14-17, Bharat Tex 2025 is the largest event in the textile sector, with more than 120 nations showcasing the entire textile ecosystem. Modi noted that Bharat Tex is growing into a significant global event.
Additionally, he emphasized India’s progress in high-grade carbon fiber manufacturing and encouraged the banking sector to support the textile industry, pointing out that a single textile unit requires just Rs 75 crore in investment and provides employment to around 2,000 people.
PM Modi also mentioned that India’s textile and apparel exports grew by 7 percent last year and reiterated the importance of creating a skilled workforce for the sector. He stressed the importance of technical textiles and India’s expanding influence in this space.
Outlining his 5F vision for the sector—Farm to Fibre, Fibre to Factory, Factory to Fashion, and Fashion to Foreign—Modi stated that this approach is opening new opportunities for farmers, weavers, designers, and traders. He also encouraged the textile industry to collaborate with institutions like IITs to develop innovative tools.
