India’s textiles sector shines as investments, exports hit high

New Delhi: India’s textiles sector recorded a surge in investment and exports during 2025, fuelled by government incentive schemes and economic reforms to facilitate the ease of doing business.

The government approved setting up of seven PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks with world-class infrastructure, including plug and play facility with an outlay of Rs 4,445 crore for a period of seven years up to 2027-28.

These parks are coming up in Tamil Nadu (Virudhnagar), Telangana (Warangal), Gujarat (Navsari), Karnataka (Kalaburagi), Madhya Pradesh (Dhar), Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow) and Maharashtra (Amravati), according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Textiles. So far, investment MoUs with expected investment potential of over Rs 27,434 crore have been signed and 100 per cent land acquired and handed over to the special purpose vehicle. After the approval of sites by the Centre, infrastructure works worth Rs 2,590.99 crore for providing infrastructure till the park gates have been started by all seven state governments.

The government has also launched the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) with an outlay of Rs 1,480 crore, focusing on research, market development, education, and export promotion. The mission aims to enhance the usage of technical textiles in various national programmes and strategic sectors and has been extended until March 31, 2026.

Exports of textiles and apparel, including handicrafts, reached $37.8 billion in 2024-25, registering 5 per cent growth over the previous year and achieving a robust trade surplus of $28.2 billion.

Traditional markets such as the US, the EU, and the UK together accounted for 55 per cent of exports, while emerging destinations like Bangladesh, the UAE, Sri Lanka, Australia, and Canada contributed 20 per cent.