MoS Textiles Pabitra Margherita: “Currently, India has started identifying new destinations in order to expand the reach of the textile industry globally”. A 40 country market diversification strategy has been developed by the Ministry of Textiles. This involves identification of potential destinations on the globe through organized outreach activities such as Export Promotion Councils, industry delegations, as well as through Indian Missions Abroad, in order to increase the presence of India in the international market. This was informed by Minister of State for Textiles Pabitra Margherita in the Rajya Sabha today,” the Apparel Resources newspaper quoted.
The Ministry of Textiles has sanctioned various schemes and programs to promote and encourage the textile industry such as PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks Scheme to have world-class infrastructure facilities; Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for MMF Apparel, MMF Fabrics, and Technical Textiles; and National Technical Textiles Mission aimed at research and development and skill development.
Others include, SAMARTH – Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector, Silk Samagra-2 for Sericulture development, Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (ATUFS) for Modernization, National Handloom Development Programme, National Handicrafts Development Programme, and Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme for end-to-end support to artisans, weavers, and handicrafts, as per written reply by Minister of State.
Amongst others are, SAMARTH – Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector; Silk Samagra-2 for development in sericulture; Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (ATUFS) for modernization efforts; National Handloom Development Programme, National Handicrafts Development Programme, Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme for providing end-to-end support to the artisans, weavers, and handicrafts clusters, the Minister of State has stated in his written reply.
The governments offer incentives and benefits to make the textile sector competitive in both domestic and international markets. “Bharat Tex with the support of EPCs has been organized in 2024 and 2025 – a Mega International Textile event with the objective of enhancing global outreach with the gathering of exhibit and trade visitors from different countries, and demonstrating the size, creativity, and global competitiveness of the Indian textile ecosystem,” the minister said.
The RoSCTL scheme is being administered by the Government regarding export articles that include clothing, textiles, and garments, as per WTO principles regarding zero-rated exports. “The textile goods that are not notified under the RoSCTL scheme are supported under the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme, along with other sectors that are non-textile. In RoSCTL, over 15,000 exporters have availed the benefits of tax rebate in FY 2024-25,” the minister stated in her written answer.
“Today, India has signed 15 Free Trade Agreements, which include CETA between India and the U.K. These Free Trade Agreements work to remove tariffs and non-tariff barriers, simplify procedures, and resolve structural aspects to ensure that Indian Exporters are more competitive,” he stated. The Government has also approved the Export Promotion Mission (EPM), which rests in a collaborative framework involving the Department of Commerce, Ministry of MSME, Ministry of Finance, and other main stakeholders such as the Financial Institutions, Export Promotion Councils, Commodity Boards, and state governments.
The Government has waived the import duty on cotton until December 31, 2025 to help cut input material costs of the textile industry and to increase export ability by improving the efficiency of the textile industry. Moreover, he said that the Government has rationalized the GST rate structure related to the textile value chain to correct structural anomalies.
“This has helped to reduce the cost, stimulate the demand, boost exports, and preserve jobs,” he added.
In another written answer, the minister informed the House that the export of textiles, wearing apparels (including handicrafts) from India was USD 37,755.0 million in 2024-25, showing a growth of 5.2 percent over the previous year (2023-24). Additionally, the Textiles and Apparels exports of India, including handicrafts, recorded USD 20,401.95 million in the period April-October 2025, which showed a meager decline of 1.8 percent relative to the corresponding period of the last year, when it stood at USD 20,728.05 million, as stated by the Minister.
