India's Textile and Apparel Sector
Structure and Export Significance
India's textile and apparel (T&A) sector is one of the largest industries in the country — the second-largest employer after agriculture, employing approximately 45 million people directly and another 100 million indirectly across the supply chain. India is the world's second-largest producer of textiles (after China) and a major exporter. The sector is unique in being vertically integrated from raw material (cotton, silk, jute) to finished apparel. However, India faces stiff competition from Bangladesh, Vietnam, and China in global apparel markets, where labour cost and trade preferences play a decisive role in competitiveness.
- India's T&A export target: $100 billion by 2030 (set by Ministry of Textiles)
- T&A's share in India's total exports: ~10-12% (including handicrafts and handlooms)
- Employment: ~45 million direct; ~100 million indirect
- India's global rank: 2nd in textiles production; approximately 5th-6th in apparel exports
- Key sub-sectors: Cotton textiles, man-made fibres (MMF), silk, wool, technical textiles, handloom and handicrafts
- PLI for Textiles: Rs. 10,683 crore scheme (notified 2021) covering man-made fibre and technical textiles — intended to scale up MMF production and reduce dependence on cotton
- National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM): Launched 2020 — targets technical textiles (medical, geotextiles, agrotextiles)
● Tracked since February 17, 2026 · last seen April 10, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes