India’s textile and apparel (T&A) companies need to focus on innovation to boost their export targets, said Ashwin Chandran, Deputy Chairman, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) at a webinar on innovative products. The seminar was co-hosted by CITI, the Wool Research Association (WRA) and the Finland-based company Infinited Fiber.

Chandran emphasized, scaling up innovation and embedding sustainability in operations will help Indian textile and apparel exporters move up the value chain in the global market, which is valued at an estimated $900 billion. This is especially important as the industry works toward its export target of $100 billion by 2030, particularly given recent challenges like the US imposing a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods.

The US is India's largest market for textile and apparel exports, accounting for nearly 28 per cent of total revenue. In FY24-25, these exports were worth almost $11 billion.

Domestic customers are also increasingly seeking high-performance, functional, and eco-friendly textile products. India aims to grow its domestic textile market to $250 billion by 2030 from its current size of approximately $180 billion.

To foster a stronger innovation ecosystem, Chandran emphasized on the importance of companies piloting products developed by research institutions. Many innovations fail to reach the market because they are not commercialized, he pointed out.

At the webinar, the WRA showcased a lightweight cricket pad and a smart t-shirt that measures real-time health parameters. Infinited Fiber demonstrated ‘Infinna,’ a cotton-like fiber made entirely from textile waste that can be recycled infinitely, representing a breakthrough in circular economy practices.