In the current 2024-25 cotton season, up to March 31, 2025, the Government of India has successfully purchased 52.5 million quintals of seed cotton, equivalent to 10 million bales at Minimum Support Price (MSP). Executed through its primary agency, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) under the Ministry of Textiles, this procurement represents 38 per cent of the total cotton arrivals of 26.3 million bales and 34 per cent of the estimated total cotton production of 29.425 million bales in the country.

Among the states, Telangana has recorded the highest procurement at 4 million bales, followed by Maharashtra with 3 million bales and Gujarat with 1.4 million bales. Other states with significant procurement include Karnataka (500,000 bales), Madhya Pradesh (400,000 bales), Andhra Pradesh (400,000 bales), and Odisha (200,000 bales). Procurement in Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab totals 115,000 bales. In total, Rs 374.5 billion (approximately $4.5 billion USD) has been paid to roughly 2.1 million cotton farmers across all cotton-producing states.

The MSP system continues to provide profitable prices to cotton farmers, protecting them from forced sales when market prices drop below the MSP. To facilitate efficient procurement, CCI has established 508 procurement centers nationwide. Several digital initiatives have been implemented, including on-site Aadhaar (Indian identification number) authentication, SMS notifications for payments, and 100 per cent direct payments through the National Automated Clearing House (NACH).

Available in nine regional languages, the Cott-Ally mobile app allows farmers to access real-time information on MSP rates, procurement centers, and payment tracking. Furthermore, all cotton bales produced by CCI are traceable via QR codes using blockchain technology to ensure transparency and accountability.

The Government of India remains committed to safeguarding the interests of cotton farmers through a fair, transparent, and efficient procurement process.