- India targets 15 high-income countries to boost textile exports to $100 billion
- Textile exports expected to grow nearly 2.7 times from $37 billion currently
- Focus on 100 champion and 100 aspirational districts as textile export hubs
India is preparing a focused strategy targeting 15 high-income countries, including the United States and Qatar, to accelerate textile exports and help the sector achieve its ambitious goal of reaching $100 billion in overseas shipments, Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh told NDTV Profit in an exclusive interaction.
The minister said textile exports are expected to grow from the current $37 billion to $100 billion, representing a nearly 2.7-fold increase. To support this expansion, the government is aiming to double the size of India's textile market from Rs 16.5 lakh crore to Rs 33 lakh crore in the coming years.
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Singh said India is developing a special export strategy for 15 high-income markets while also maintaining a broader focus on 40 countries. He added that 100 champion districts and 100 aspirational districts are being promoted as textile export hubs, helping India make what he described as a "big leap" in the sector.
The minister highlighted the importance of free trade agreements, particularly with the European Union and the United Kingdom, for enhancing India's competitiveness.
According to Singh, India is expected to gain preferential access to markets worth about $540 billion out of the global textile market estimated at $900 billion. To sustain export growth, India will require 23-25 million tonnes of fibre by 2030, compared with the current requirement of 15-16 million tonnes.
Singh stressed that exports must increasingly shift toward value-added products and finished garments rather than raw materials.
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On investments, he said the sector requires nearly $50 billion in fresh capital. The government is also working to boost productivity through expanded shifts and improved social infrastructure in textile parks. On fibres, Singh said India is promoting new-age fibres such as milkweed and pushing technical textiles under the Rs 11,000-crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.
Technical textile exports currently stand at $3.3 billion, with applications spanning sectors such as aerospace, defence, automobiles and healthcare.
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