THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
NEW
DELHI, JANUARY 20, 2026
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday underscored the rapid transformation of
India’s textile sector into a dynamic, job-creating and people-centric engine
of economic growth, saying it reflects the true spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat
and showcases India’s ability to modernise legacy industries for global
competitiveness.
The
Prime Minister shared an article authored by Union Minister for Textiles
Giriraj Singh that traces the sector’s evolution from a traditional mainstay of
the economy to a modern driver of employment, investment and exports. In a post
on X, PM Modi said, “In this article, Union Minister Shri Giriraj Singh
outlines the rise of India’s textile sector from a legacy industry to a
powerful, job-creating, people-centric engine of growth, embodying the true
spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. He highlights that PM MITRA Parks, PLI schemes
and new Free Trade Agreements are creating the next wave of employment.”
In
his article, Singh highlighted that the resurgence of the textile industry is
being powered by robust domestic demand and rising consumption. With a
population exceeding 140 crore, India has emerged as one of the most resilient
textile markets globally. Over the past five years, the domestic textile market
has expanded significantly, growing from around ₹8.4 lakh crore to an estimated ₹13 lakh crore, reflecting the
sector’s deepening integration with the country’s consumption-led growth model.
Consumption
trends further reinforce this momentum. Per capita textile consumption has
nearly doubled over the last decade, rising from about ₹3,000 in 2014-15 to over ₹6,000 in 2024-25, and is
projected to double again to ₹12,000
by 2030. This sustained increase, Singh noted, is creating a strong foundation
for long-term capacity expansion and innovation across the value chain.
Export
performance has mirrored this demand-driven growth. Textile and apparel exports
climbed from ₹2.49
lakh crore in 2019-20 to nearly ₹3.5
lakh crore in 2024-25, marking around 28 per cent growth in the post-Covid
period. The rebound highlights India’s ability to rapidly scale manufacturing
as global demand recovers and translate export growth into widespread
employment.
A key pillar of this
transformation is the PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA)
Parks scheme, which has attracted proposals amounting to ₹18,500 crore. Once operational,
the parks are expected to draw investments of around ₹10,000 crore and generate
nearly three lakh direct and indirect jobs, significantly strengthening India’s
textile manufacturing ecosystem and positioning the sector as a cornerstone of
inclusive economic growth.
