India continues to strengthen its position in the global cotton industry, ranking first in the world in terms of acreage under cultivation and second in both cotton production and consumption, according to an official government factsheet released on Monday.
India’s cotton production is estimated at 290.91 lakh bales in 2025-26, while domestic consumption stands at 328 lakh bales during the same period. The country contributes nearly 19 per cent of global fibre production, the factsheet said.
The government said its recent interventions in the cotton sector are focused on improving productivity, quality, market access and value addition. Minimum Support Price (MSP) operations continue to provide price support to farmers during market downturns, while the Mission for Cotton Productivity aims to increase production to 498 lakh bales by 2031.
According to the government, technology demonstrations, digital procurement and traceability initiatives are helping enhance productivity, improve quality and strengthen India’s competitiveness in the global cotton market.
Owing to its economic significance, cotton is often referred to as India’s “White Gold”. The crop supports the livelihoods of around 6 million farmers, with 114.84 lakh hectares under cultivation, and provides employment to another 40-50 million people engaged in activities such as processing, trading and the textile value chain.
Cotton also plays a key role in generating foreign exchange through exports of fibre, yarn, fabrics and garments.
In 2024-25, India exported an estimated 18 lakh bales (0.31 million metric tonnes) of cotton, accounting for around 3.37 per cent of global cotton exports, which totalled 541.69 lakh bales (9.21 million metric tonnes), the factsheet said.
In value terms, cotton exports stood at USD 11.49 billion in FY25.
The United States was the largest destination for India’s cotton fabrics and made-up exports, accounting for 26.35 per cent of total exports. It was followed by Bangladesh with 19.81 per cent and Sri Lanka with 5.11 per cent. Other key export destinations included the United Kingdom (2.38 per cent) and the United Arab Emirates (2.32 per cent).
The government said the export pattern reflects strong and diversified global demand for Indian cotton products.
Cotton cultivation in India is concentrated across nine major producing states, divided into three agro-climatic zones. The northern zone comprises Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan; the central zone includes Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh; while the southern zone covers Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The crop is also cultivated in Odisha and Tamil Nadu.
(With IANS inputs)
