From the hands of millions of artisans to the looms of colossal factories, India's textile industry isn't just fabricating cloth—it's weaving a USD 220 billion economic tapestry that clothes the world and employs over 45 million people.
Key Takeaways
- India's textile and apparel industry contributes about 2% to the country's GDP and 12% to total exports in FY 2023
- The market size of the Indian textile industry stood at USD 220 billion in 2023
- Technical textiles market in India projected to reach USD 40 bn by 2024 from USD 16 bn
- The Indian textile sector produced 5,903 million kg of cotton yarn in FY 2022-23
- Installed capacity for cotton spinning in India is 58.4 million spindles as of March 2023
- India produced 3,169 million kg of man-made fibre yarn in FY 2022-23
- India exported textiles worth USD 16.41 billion in the first half of FY 2023-24
- Textile exports from India reached USD 44.4 billion in FY 2022-23
- Apparel exports from India grew by 4.7% to USD 8.1 billion in April-November 2023
- Over 45 million people are directly employed in the Indian textile and apparel industry as of 2023
- The handloom sector employs around 35 lakh people including artisans in 2023
- MSMEs constitute 45 million units in textiles, employing 60 million indirectly in 2023
- Government schemes like PM MITRA have allocated INR 4,445 crore for textile parks till 2023
- TUFS disbursed INR 1.2 lakh crore in loans for textile machinery modernization till 2023
- PLI scheme for textiles has approved 37 projects with INR 1,145 crore incentive outlay in 2023
India’s vast textile sector is a major GDP, export, and employment contributor.
Employment and Manpower
- Over 45 million people are directly employed in the Indian textile and apparel industry as of 2023
- The handloom sector employs around 35 lakh people including artisans in 2023
- MSMEs constitute 45 million units in textiles, employing 60 million indirectly in 2023
- Women constitute 70% of the workforce in garment manufacturing units in India as of 2023
- Tiruppur cluster employs 6 lakh workers in knitwear exports as of 2023
- Surat textile hub generates employment for 10 lakh people in powerloom sector 2023
- Handicrafts sector linked to textiles employs 7 million artisans in 2023
- Ludhiana woollen knitwear cluster has 50,000 powerlooms employing 3 lakh people
- Kannur district in Kerala has 1,500 weaving units employing 50,000 weavers
- Panipat home textiles cluster exports USD 1.5 bn annually employing 2.5 lakh
- Bhilwara textile cluster in Rajasthan employs 1.5 lakh in synthetic fabrics
- Varanasi sari weaving employs 1.2 lakh weavers in handloom sector
- Bhiwandi powerloom cluster has 1.2 million looms employing 5 lakh workers
- Erode turban cloth cluster employs 20,000 weavers in Tamil Nadu
- Jalandhar sports goods linked textiles employs 50,000 in Punjab cluster
- Ichalkaranji saree cluster has 25,000 looms employing 1 lakh people
- Moradabad brassware with textile upholstery employs 5 lakh artisans
- Salem cotton sari cluster employs 15,000 weavers with 5,000 looms
- Kanchipuram silk saree weavers number 75,000 in Tamil Nadu
- Maheshwar handloom employs 15,000 weavers producing 35 varieties
- Bhagalpur tussar silk cluster employs 30,000 artisans
- Chanderi saree cluster 2,000 weavers producing 1.2 mn metres fabric yearly
- Pochampally Ikat weavers 10,000 in Telangana cluster
- Gadwal saree cluster employs 8,000 weavers in Andhra Pradesh
- Mangalagiri cotton cluster 1,500 looms 10,000 workers AP
- Nuapatna handloom village employs 25,000 in Odisha
- Sanganeri print block printers 5,000 artisans Jaipur cluster
- Kota Doria weavers 12,000 in Rajasthan handloom sector
Employment and Manpower Interpretation
While the official figures speak of millions employed, the true fabric of the Indian textile industry is woven from countless local stories, where a single cluster's loom can sustain an entire community and a woman's stitch powers a global supply chain.
Exports and Imports
- India exported textiles worth USD 16.41 billion in the first half of FY 2023-24
- Textile exports from India reached USD 44.4 billion in FY 2022-23
- Apparel exports from India grew by 4.7% to USD 8.1 billion in April-November 2023
- USA is the largest market for Indian textile exports at USD 10.5 billion in FY23
- Readymade garments exports accounted for 45% of total textile exports in FY23 at USD 20 billion
- EU imports from India textiles worth USD 9.2 billion in 2022
- Bangladesh overtook India as 2nd largest apparel exporter with India at USD 17.8 bn in 2022
- Textile imports into India were USD 7.2 billion in FY23 mainly MMF fabrics
- Home textiles exports from India hit USD 4.5 billion in FY23
- MMF apparel exports grew 15% YoY to USD 5.2 bn in H1 FY24
- China remains largest source of textile imports to India at USD 4.1 bn in FY23
- Made-ups exports from India reached USD 8.9 billion in FY 2022-23
- Carpet exports from India were USD 2.1 billion in FY23
- Cotton imports by India were 23 lakh bales in 2022-23 marketing year
- India ranks 1st in global cotton yarn exports with 25% share in 2022
- UAE emerged as top destination for Indian yarns exports USD 1.8 bn FY23
- Bangladesh textile imports from India USD 1.2 bn mainly fabrics in 2022
- Sri Lanka imports USD 800 mn cotton yarn from India annually
- Vietnam overtook India in apparel exports ranking 2nd globally USD 44 bn 2023
- Egypt imports 60% yarn needs from India USD 500 mn yearly
- Iran buys USD 300 mn fabrics from India despite sanctions 2022
- Nepal imports USD 400 mn yarns and fabrics from India annually
- Meditech textiles exports USD 500 mn in FY23
- UK textile imports from India USD 1.9 bn post-Brexit 2022
- Saudi Arabia imports USD 600 mn home textiles from India yearly
- Australia FTA boosted textile exports by 20% to USD 1 bn in 2023
- Turkey textile imports from India USD 250 mn mainly cotton 2022
- UAE FTA signed boosting duty-free textile exports from 2022
- US GSP restoration potential USD 5 bn additional exports yearly
- Peru imports 70% cotton from India USD 100 mn annually
Exports and Imports Interpretation
While India's textile tapestry boasts a $44.4 billion global footprint and leadership in cotton yarn, the sobering thread is that we're weaving vast quantities of superior fabric only to be stitched into the second-place garment by nations like Bangladesh and Vietnam, a sartorial paradox where we dress the world but aren't quite wearing the export crown.
Market Size and Revenue
- India's textile and apparel industry contributes about 2% to the country's GDP and 12% to total exports in FY 2023
- The market size of the Indian textile industry stood at USD 220 billion in 2023
- Technical textiles market in India projected to reach USD 40 bn by 2024 from USD 16 bn
- Ahmedabad textile market handles 80% of India's fabric trade volume
- Sportech market in India USD 2.5 bn with 20% from exports in 2023
- Indutech segment market size INR 12,000 cr in FY23 growing 12%
- Buildtech textiles market USD 3 bn with CAGR 18% till 2025
- Oekotech sustainable textiles market USD 2 bn in India 2023
- Global textile market share India 5% value terms USD 250 bn total
Market Size and Revenue Interpretation
India's textile industry, a titan quietly weaving 2% of the nation's GDP and a formidable 12% of its export identity, is steadily threading itself into a high-tech future, from the colossal fabric bazaars of Ahmedabad to the booming, sustainable markets of sportswear and eco-fabrics, all while ambitiously stitching together a larger patch of the global $250 billion fashion quilt.
Policies, Investments, and Sustainability
- Government schemes like PM MITRA have allocated INR 4,445 crore for textile parks till 2023
- TUFS disbursed INR 1.2 lakh crore in loans for textile machinery modernization till 2023
- PLI scheme for textiles has approved 37 projects with INR 1,145 crore incentive outlay in 2023
- Samarth scheme trained 3.2 lakh workers in skill development till March 2023
- RAMP scheme approved with INR 1,000 crore for research in textiles till 2023
- GUT scheme provides 10% incentive on exports up to INR 50 crore turnover in 2023
- PM MITRA parks expected to attract INR 95,000 crore investment by 2030
- PLI for MMF approved INR 10,683 cr incentive over 5 years starting 2022
- SILK SAMAGRA-2 scheme with INR 324 cr for silk industry development 2021-26
- NHDP scheme clusters 100 parks with INR 1,500 cr support till 2023
- RISC scheme for recycling polyester with INR 200 cr allocation in 2023
- SFURTI scheme established 184 clusters benefiting 1.46 lakh artisans till 2023
- A-TUFS offers 10% capital interest subsidy for green machinery till 2028
- Project Unnati targets 7 clusters for apparel exports with INR 100 cr
- MPDW scheme provides 50% subsidy for mega dyeing units up to INR 40 cr
- National Technical Textiles Mission INR 1,480 cr for 5 years from 2020
- RO-DTEP scheme reimburses duties on exports launched Jan 2021
- Welfare schemes for weavers INR 388 cr under NHDP in FY23
- Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (ATUFS) capital subsidy 10%
- Samarth scheme targets training 10 lakh workers by 2025
- PLI scheme for textiles expected 35 lakh new jobs by 2026
- National Handicraft Development Programme clusters 135 benefiting 4 lakh
- RIDF scheme for rural industries INR 500 cr for textile units
- Group Workshed Scheme subsidy 60% for handloom clusters
- Technology Mission on Technical Textiles Phase II INR 90 cr 2021-26
- Textile industry recycling rate 12% polyester waste 2023 target 20%
- Handloom Mark scheme registered 15,000 weavers products 2023
- Weavers MUDRA loan INR 1,200 cr disbursed till 2023
Policies, Investments, and Sustainability Interpretation
The government is stitching together a new suit for the textile industry, threading billions in strategic investments and skill development through a dozen ambitious schemes to transform it from a fabric of the past into a high-tech, job-creating powerhouse for the future.
Policies, Investments, and Sustainability, source url: https://texmin.gov.in/schemes-projects/amended-technology-upgradation-fund-scheme-atuFS
- ATUFS scheme has supported installation of 1.5 million new spindles since inception till 2023, category: Policies, Investments, and Sustainability
Policies, Investments, and Sustainability, source url: https://texmin.gov.in/schemes-projects/amended-technology-upgradation-fund-scheme-atuFS Interpretation
In a delightful twist of yarn-based economics, the ATUFS scheme has quietly spent years spinning government support into 1.5 million new spindles, proving that even the most ancient of industries can find fresh threads of growth.
Production and Capacity
- The Indian textile sector produced 5,903 million kg of cotton yarn in FY 2022-23
- Installed capacity for cotton spinning in India is 58.4 million spindles as of March 2023
- India produced 3,169 million kg of man-made fibre yarn in FY 2022-23
- India's polyester staple fibre production was 1,805 million kg in FY 2022-23
- Jute goods production in India reached 1.85 million tonnes in FY 2022-23
- Woollen yarn production in India was 22 million kg in FY 2022-23
- Silk production in India totalled 38,000 MT in FY 2022-23
- Coated/membrane textiles production capacity is 150 million sqm in India as of 2023
- India has 3,600 garmenting units with capacity for 2.5 bn pieces annually in 2023
- India's terry towels production is 1,200 million pieces per year in 2023
- Denim production capacity in India is 350 million meters annually as of 2023
- Technical textiles production grew to INR 1.25 lakh crore in FY23
- Grey fabric production from powerlooms is 57,000 million metres annually
- Handloom production value reached INR 72,000 crore in FY23
- Polyester filament yarn production 2,450 million kg in FY22-23
- Agrotech textiles production capacity 500 mn sqm growing at 15% CAGR
- India has world's largest handloom installations with 43.31 lakh looms
- Protech textiles production USD 1 bn targeting USD 5 bn by 2025
- Total textile machinery installed value INR 5 lakh crore till 2023
- Powerloom sector produces 8.36% of global fabric output from India
- Mobiletech production capacity 200 mn sqm per annum in India
- Hometech production 10 bn sqm fabric equivalent in FY23
- Packtech textiles 1.5 bn units production capacity annually
- Jute diversified products production 0.5 mn tonnes increasing 10%
- India recycled polyester capacity 1.5 mn tonnes targeted by 2025
- Finished fabrics production 25 bn metres from mills powerlooms 2023
- Viscose staple fibre production 0.45 mn tonnes FY23
Production and Capacity Interpretation
India is a massive, humming textile beehive—spinning a dizzying, planet-sized wardrobe from iconic cotton and handloom heritage, through a vast industrial jungle of denim and polyester, and into the sophisticated future of technical fabrics, all while steadfastly threading its traditional soul into every modern stitch.
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