The 12th Asian Textile Conference (ATEXCON 2025), organized by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), highlighted a strategic roadmap for India’s textile and apparel (T&A) sector. India’s T&A exports reached 33.2 billion US dollars during April 2024-February 2025, registering a 7.2 per cent increase over the previous year. However, with exports still near the 2015 level, the industry must achieve 18 percent annual growth to reach the 100 billion US dollar target by 2030.

Government initiatives like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, PM MITRA parks, and ongoing trade negotiations with the European Union and the United States are expected to drive expansion. However, addressing key challenges is essential. Based on deliberations at the National Committee on Textiles and Clothing (NCTC), ATEXCON 2025 outlined five priority areas:

Raw Material Availability - Removing import restrictions on cotton, man-made fiber, and specialized yarns to ensure competitive pricing.

Cotton Import Duty - Eliminating the 10 percent duty on cotton fiber to bridge the supply-demand gap of 3.8 million bales and enhance cost competitiveness.

Investment Incentives - Launching a scheme combining capital subsidies and performance-based incentives, with a special focus on textile processing.

PM MITRA Parks - Accelerating the implementation of integrated textile parks to strengthen the value chain.

Trade Agreements - Fast-tracking free trade agreements (FTAs) with the EU and the US to ensure a level playing field for Indian exporters.

Industry leaders at ATEXCON 2025 also emphasized that GST on ready-made garments should not be increased. Addressing these key areas will enable India’s T&A industry to capitalize on emerging global opportunities and drive sustainable growth.