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, according to Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh in an exclusive interaction with NDTV Profit. 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 ₹16.5 lakh crore to ₹33 lakh crore in the coming years.
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. The minister highlighted the importance of free trade agreements, particularly with the European Union and the United Kingdom, for enhancing India's competitiveness. 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. The sector requires nearly $50 billion in fresh capital to achieve its growth targets. 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 ₹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. Under the PLI scheme, India is promoting technical textiles and new-age fibres to enhance the sector's competitiveness and diversify its export portfolio beyond traditional textile products.
