Dear Friends,

The textile industry is in for another exciting year, marked by the interplay of emerging technologies and advancements in sustainability. Like any new year, 2025 is expected to bring not only the changes to the trading order, but also a renewed focus on factors that will shape the textile industry.

The year gone by has left a glimmer of hope for the Indian textiles segment. India’s textile exports have entered a positive territory despite global headwinds, economic downturns and supply chain disruptions; reflecting the resilience of industry to withstand tough times. India has also been doing well in few of the FTA markets such as South Korea, Japan, Australia, and Mauritius.

Meeting with Ministers

On January 9, 2025, we had the opportunity to meet with Smt. Neelam Shami Rao, the newly appointed Secretary of Textiles. During this meeting, we discussed the export targets for cotton textiles and briefed her on the challenges faced by exporter members. We also presented her with a special souvenir commemorating the 70th Jubilee Celebrations of TEXPROCIL.

The following day, January 10, 2025, we met with Shri Piyush Goyal ji, the Hon'ble Minister of Commerce & Industry. We also presented him with a copy of the special souvenir that marks Texprocil's 70 years of contributions to the textile industry.

Trade Data

As per the data on quick estimates, released by the Ministry of Commerce, India’s total exports during the first 9 months of FY25 (April-December2024) is estimated at USD 602.64 Billion registering a positive growth of 6.03 percent.

The exports of Cotton Textiles under the purview of Council including Cotton Yarn/Fabrics/made-ups, etc. increased by 11.98% from USD 0.94 Billion in December 2023 to USD 1.05 Billion in December 2024. The cumulative exports during Apr-Dec’24, for Indian cotton yarn / fabrics / made-ups, handloom products registered a growth of 2.82%.

Heimtextil 2025

Heimtextil Trade Fair held during 14-17 January, 2025 in Frankfurt, Germany brought in the new calendar year, hosting over 3,000 exhibitors from around the world. The fair highlighted the significant international representation, with 96% of exhibitors coming from various countries. The current edition featured participation from 142 nations, showcasing a notable increase in both exhibitors and visitors, with attendance rising by 10%.

The major attraction at the fair was the visit of a high-level delegation from India, led by Shri Giriraj Singh, Hon’ble Minister of Textiles, Government of India. The main objective of the delegation’s visit was to encourage the Indian exhibitors and gain first-hand information on present market trends for the growing Home Textile sector.

On 14th January - the first day of the fair, Shri Giriraj Singh, Hon’ble Minister of Textiles, inaugurated the India Pavilion, accompanied by Mr. Rohit Kansal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Shri B. S. Mubarak, Hon’ble Consul General, CGI Frankfurt, Germany, and other Ministry officials. The inauguration ceremony held at the Council’s Booth saw the presence of Shri Ravi Sam, Vice Chairman, TEXPROCIL, Dr. K. V. Srinivasan, President of ITMF, Mrs. Shanthi Srinivasan, Managing Director, Premier Fine Linens and Dr. Siddhartha Rajagopal, Executive Director, TEXPROCIL.

This inauguration was followed by a brief discussion at the TEXPROCIL Stall wherein all those present were briefed about the ‘KC-Track’ traceability mechanism of the Kasturi Cotton Programme by Shri Rajesh Satam, Joint Director, TEXPROCIL. Shri Giriraj Singh, Hon’ble Minister of Textiles appreciated the display of the products made of ‘Kasturi Cotton’ at the Council’s stall and appealed to all the Indian manufacturers to take all out efforts to place Indian Cottons in the league of Global Brands.

During his visit, the Hon’ble Minister of Textiles visited various stalls at the exhibition, engaging with exhibitors to understand their latest offerings and innovations in home textiles. At the Investor’s Meet, held on the sidelines of the fair, the Hon’ble Minister also interacted with importers and textile machinery manufacturers from Germany, and encouraged them to explore and expand their investments in the Indian market.

Bharat Tex 2025 Promotions

It was decided to use the Heimtextil Fair as an opportunity for promoting ‘Bharat Tex 2025’ amongst buyers interested in sourcing textiles from India. All the 5 EPCs in India including TEXPROCIL, MATEXIL, EPCH, HEPC, CEPC along with the Jute Board, participating in the fair along with the member companies, held joint promotions of the upcoming mega textile event in India.

Fair brochures and special promotional bags including the Buyer’s Kit for the Bharat Tex 2025 exhibition were distributed amongst international visitors. During the interactions, the visiting delegation under the leadership of Hon’ble Minister of Textiles invited all participating countries to attend Bharat Tex 2025 and explore investment opportunities in India’s thriving textile ecosystem.

Budget Expectations

At various forums, export bodies have reiterated the need for sustained government support to counter external challenges. The upcoming budget will be a critical moment for the government to demonstrate its commitment to supporting the export sector and ensuring its growth in the coming years.

In the wake of challenges including the risks on account of ongoing trade conflicts, demand slowdown in advanced nations, supply chain disruptions, etc. government support will be crucial for the textile sector to maintain competitiveness and ensure that India can thrive in international markets.

The world is undergoing a major shift in the sourcing patterns, driven by strategies such as China-plus-one that seek to diversify sourcing out of China. Further, the disruptions in competing countries like Bangladesh, have brought in both risks and opportunities to grow trade which the government needs to capitalise by considering to extend higher support to the textile sector.

Way forward

Friends, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has projected that global trade volume could rise from 2.7% to 3% in 2025, contingent on the resolution of conflicts in West Asia. This potential growth underscores the importance of maintaining robust support for Indian exporters as they navigate a complex global landscape.

In a recent development, despite being committed to a mutually beneficial and trusted partnership, there are growing trade and tariffs concerns between India and the USA, after Donald Trump took over office as President on 20 January. However, both sides are in discussions over the bilateral relationship, and are hoping to move towards a "fair" bilateral trading relationship.

To navigate effectively the complex global landscape, support is sought by the textile industry to make available the raw material at less than international prices, removal of import duty on cotton, credit support by extending the interest equalisation scheme, continuation of remission schemes such as RoDTEP, among others.  To emerge successful, we all need to stay vigilant about the happenings around us, and make the best use of opportunities that come our way.


:: TEXPROCIL ::