Giriraj Singh, Minister of Textiles, has announced the formation of four new, industry-led committees. These committees aim to quickly develop recommendations for new market diversification, fiscal and business reforms, structural changes in the value chain, and cost competitiveness. The minister made the announcement at a high-level meeting with key textile and apparel industry leaders to discuss the current global trade situation. The Minister of State for Textiles, Pabitra Margherita, and Neelam Shami Rao, Secretary of the Ministry of Textiles, were also in attendance.
Singh emphasized the ‘5F’ approach - Farm to Fiber to Factory to Fashion to Foreign - and stressed the need to diversify the country’s export basket, boost product competitiveness, and tap into new and underserved markets, according to a press release from the Ministry of Textiles.
He urged exporters to actively explore the European Union (EU) market, which collectively imports textiles worth $268.8 billion - more than twice the size of the US market. India has already signed 15 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with countries whose combined textile import demand is $198.9 billion, and is currently negotiating an FTA with the EU.
Singh also highlighted that the government aims to strengthen domestic value addition, promote sustainable manufacturing, and reinforce India’s global reputation for quality. He expressed confidence that, through a united effort between the industry and the government and a focus on innovation, India will reach its $100 billion export target by 2030 despite global uncertainties.
India is currently the world’s sixth-largest exporter, holding a 4.1 per cent global share. It shipped $37.7 billion worth of textiles and apparel in 2024–25, which contributed 8.63 per cent to its total merchandise exports. While the US accounts for 28.97 per cent of India's textile exports, it makes up just 6 per cent of the overall $179 billion industry, where domestic demand has surged in the past decade.
