India Textile Sector Achieves USD 190 Billion Size with 5.3 Crore Employment
Union Minister of Textiles Shri Giriraj Singh announced that India's textile and apparel sector has reached nearly USD 190 billion in size during 2025-26 and is positioned to achieve the target of USD 350 billion by 2030. The domestic textile market has shown robust expansion, growing from approximately ₹6 lakh crore in 2014-15 to over ₹16 lakh crore currently, reflecting the sector's significant contribution to the national economy.
The sector currently provides direct employment to more than 5.3 crore people and is expected to generate nearly 2 crore additional jobs over the next three years. The government has implemented multiple flagship initiatives including PM MITRA Parks, Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), Textiles Export Promotion Mission (TEEM), National Fibre Mission, and Raw Material Support Scheme (RMSS) to drive investments, technological advancement, sustainability, and export competitiveness.
Export Growth and Market Diversification
Export competitiveness has been strengthened through schemes such as RoSCTL and RoDTEP, while India's network of Free Trade Agreements has expanded from 10 FTAs covering 19 countries in 2014 to 18 FTAs covering 56 countries. Despite global trade challenges, India has diversified its export destinations and registered export growth in 135 countries.
Technical Textiles and Infrastructure Development
The technical textiles market has expanded significantly from about USD 6 billion to USD 25 billion under the National Technical Textiles Mission. Large-scale investments in research, innovation, incubation, and industry-academia collaboration are helping build a future-ready textile ecosystem. Seven PM MITRA Parks across key states are expected to attract investments worth ₹70,000 crore and generate approximately 21 lakh employment opportunities.
Handloom and Handicrafts Sector Support
Minister of State Shri Pabitra Margherita highlighted that nearly ₹2,000 crore has been invested through the National Handloom Development Programme, benefiting lakhs of weavers through upgraded looms, skill development, infrastructure support, and enhanced market access. Initiatives such as Government e-Marketplace (GeM), India Handmade portal, GI tagging, Mega Handloom Clusters, and Weavers' MUDRA Scheme have strengthened livelihoods and reduced dependence on intermediaries.
Raw Material and Agricultural Support
To support cotton farmers and ensure adequate raw material availability, the government launched the Cotton Productivity Mission and removed import duty on cotton. The powerloom sector has benefited from technology upgradation initiatives, while NIFT has expanded its academic footprint and introduced innovative projects such as VisioNxt and INDIASize.
Secretary Neelam Shami Rao emphasized the textile sector's crucial role in women empowerment as a major workforce and rising entrepreneurs, expressing confidence that with continued policy support, infrastructure development, investment promotion, skill enhancement, and technological innovation, India is well positioned to become a leading global textile powerhouse.