TEXTILE INDUSTRY

India’s textile and apparel exports, including handicrafts, rose 1.8 % to ₹3,25,339 crore in 2025‑26 from ₹3,19,573 crore in 2024‑25, with growth recorded in over 100 export destinations. Export values from Madhya Pradesh and Bihar were ₹11,751.7 crore and ₹409.0 crore respectively in 2025‑26. The government highlighted several schemes supporting the sector, such as PM‑MITRA Parks, PLI, National Technical Textiles Mission, SAMARTH, Silk Samagra‑2, various handloom and handicraft programmes, RoSCTL, RoDTEP, Export Promotion Mission (EPM) and the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Exporters. On 19 March 2026, the RELIEF initiative was launched to aid exporters affected by West‑Asia conflicts and Gulf maritime challenges, and cotton imports under heading 5201 were exempted from 1 June to 31 Oct 2026. Sixteen FTAs, including the India‑UK CETA, and recent agreements with the EU and New Zealand, were cited as avenues for expanding textile exports. RoSCTL and RoDTEP schemes were extended to 30 Sept 2026 to ensure policy stability.