India's exports of textiles and apparel, including handicrafts, reached ₹3,25,339 crore in 2025–26, representing a growth of 1.8% over the previous year's ₹3,19,573.2 crore, with export growth recorded in over 100 countries. The products were exported from more than 500 districts during the year.
Government Initiatives and Schemes
The Government has implemented multiple schemes to strengthen global competitiveness, including the PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel Parks Scheme, Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Textiles, National Technical Textiles Mission, and SAMARTH - Scheme for Capacity Building in the Textile Sector. Recent measures include the extension of the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products Scheme until 30 September 2026, temporary exemption from customs duty on cotton imports (Customs Tariff Heading 5201) from 1 June to 31 October 2026, and temporary exemption from customs duties on key inputs in the man-made fibre value chain including Purified Terephthalic Acid and Mono-Ethylene Glycol.
Tax and Rebate Measures
The Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) Scheme, operational since March 2019, has been extended for six months until 30 September 2026 to ensure policy predictability for exporters of garments and made-ups. The government has also rationalised GST rates to correct the inverted duty structure in the MMF value chain.
Trade Agreements and Market Access
Sixteen Free Trade Agreements are currently in force, including the India–United Kingdom Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). FTA negotiations with the European Union have been successfully concluded, and India has signed an FTA with New Zealand. The government has adopted a focused export-promotion strategy covering 40 priority countries.
Infrastructure and Promotion Initiatives
The Ministry of Textiles has established six Textile Export Facilitation Centres and launched the India Immersive Experience Programme through National Institute of Fashion Technology to showcase India's textile ecosystem internationally. The Ministry successfully concluded the Textiles Summit in June 2026 and held the third edition of Bharat Tex from 14th–17th July 2026 as a global mega textiles event. A district-led approach with 100 champion and 100 aspirational Textiles Districts has been adopted for improved planning.
Logistics and Support Measures
The RELIEF (Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation) initiative was launched to support exporters affected by disruptions from the evolving geopolitical situation in West Asia and its impact on maritime logistics across the Gulf and adjoining regions. These collective measures have helped diversify export markets, strengthen supply-chain resilience, improve market access including through e-commerce, and enhance the competitiveness of MSME exporters.
This information was provided by the Minister of State for Textiles Shri Pabitra Margherita in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.