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International Relations GS 2 In the news 5 times

India's Textile and Apparel Industry

Structure and Global Position

India's textile sector is one of the oldest and largest in the world, contributing approximately 2.3% of GDP, 7% of industrial output, and 12% of total export earnings. The sector is the second-largest employer after agriculture, supporting over 45 million direct jobs and 100 million indirect jobs across the value chain.

Key details
  • India's total textile and apparel exports were approximately $35-37 billion in 2024-25
  • The US is India's largest textile export destination, absorbing approximately $10.5 billion (about 30% of textile exports)
  • India ranks third globally in garment exports ($4.07 billion in H1 2025), behind China ($38.1 billion) and Vietnam ($8.93 billion)
  • India has a complete textile value chain: from raw fibre production (cotton, jute, silk) through spinning, weaving, processing, and garment manufacturing
  • India is the world's largest producer of cotton (approximately 30 million bales annually) and the second-largest producer of textiles overall
In the news

Tracked since February 07, 2026 · last seen April 27, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes

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