India plans cotton technology mission for improving quality as part of 100 days agenda
textiles ministry is gearing up to launch a revamped Cotton Technology Mission aimed at improving the quality and output of India's "white gold" by adopting best practices that could position India as a prime destination for textile sourcing and foreign investment, two people aware of the matter said. This mission is designed to reduce dependence on imports for this crucial raw material for fibre, and to increase the incomes of India's more than 6 million cotton farmers, they said.
Also read: Centre to set up dedicated test labs in six states for Kasturi Cotton global brand push Scheduled to span five years from 2024, the project's financial allocation and other policy frameworks will be finalized in the first 100 days of the new government, said one of the two people cited above. India imports 500,000 bales of high-quality cotton, falling short of its required 900,000 bales.
However, the government has set an ambitious target to significantly reduce these imports by 2030 through this proposed mission. Also read: India issues quality orders on textiles to take on China The ministry plans to conduct stakeholder consultations in the coming months.
Given that a model code of conduct is in place, the government aims to utilize this period to finalize discussions and prepare a draft policy framework. The textiles ministry will launch the revamped cotton technology mission in cooperation with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Cotton Association of India and different associations of ginners in the country.
Queries sent to spokespersons of the textiles ministry and ICAR remained unanswered till press time. The policy will focus on introducing new technologies to reduce trash content, contamination levels, and
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