Countries such as the US and Egypt have been able to create their own brand of cotton like Supima and Egyptian Cotton. Now, India is planning to move on similar lines. The idea is to project Suvin cotton produced in Tamil Nadu and Shankar 6 produced in Gujarat as global brands.

Egyptian and US cotton fetch premium over the conventional fiber in import markets, including India. Despite Indian cotton’s having a better quality and a huge potential for fetching a higher price, lack of a branding has yielded lower income for Indian farmers and traders.

India is known for fine and beautiful cotton fabrics. Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Rajasthan are the important cotton cultivating regions. Cotton in India is one of the most important commercial fibers and commodity exported due to its uses in the textile industry, mattresses etc. India is one of the largest producers as well as exporters of cotton and cotton yarn. Cotton plays an important role in the country’s economy as its textile industry is predominantly cotton based. But the quality of Indian cotton is not standardized due to varying practices adopted by various stakeholders including farmers, ginners, and traders. Major markets for Indian cotton are: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Turkey, Thailand etc.