

Mint explainer: how can India’s ₹5,659 crore Cotton Productivity Mission transform textiles?
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The Centre has approved a ₹5,659 crore Cotton Productivity Mission (Kapas Kanti) over five years to revive India’s cotton economy at a time when output has stagnated, imports are rising and textile exporters face intensifying global competition.The mission marks one of the most ambitious interventions in India’s cotton-textile value chain in recent years, linking farm productivity to manufacturing competitiveness and export growth.Mint explains how the scheme seeks to lift yields, improve fibre quality and strengthen India’s textile export competitiveness.The programme seeks to address multiple structural weaknesses at once—low farm productivity, inconsistent fibre quality, volatile raw material supply and rising import dependence.Unlike earlier schemes focused largely on cultivation, this mission adopts a value-chain approach, connecting farm-level reforms with textile manufacturing, exports and global sourcing competitiveness.Improving the availability of domestic raw cotton is critical. Textile manufacturers have increasingly struggled with supply shortages and quality inconsistencies.
The push for extra-long staple (ELS) cotton is especially significant, as India currently imports large volumes of premium cotton used in high-value textile products.Better quality and traceability could also strengthen the global positioning of the Kasturi Cotton brand as a premium Indian cotton label.The mission comes amid concerns over declining output and mounting stress in the textile sector.According to agriculture ministry data, cotton production stood at 31.11 million bales in FY22 and rose to 33.66 million bales in FY23. It then slipped to 32.52 million bales in FY24, 29.72 million bales in
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