Indian textile sector continued to demonstrate resilience in global markets during FY26, with total textile exports, including handicrafts, increasing from ₹3,09,859 crore to ₹3,16,335 crore, registering a growth of 2%.
This performance reflects steady global demand for Indian textile products and the continued competitiveness of the sector across major product categories.
Segment-wise performance
Among the major segments, ready-made garments (RMG) of all textiles remained the largest contributor to exports, rising from ₹1,35,428 crore to ₹1,39,350 crore, an increase of 3%.
Cotton yarn, fabrics, made-ups and handloom products recorded exports of ₹1,02,400 crore against ₹1,02,003 crore in FY25, reflecting stable growth of 0.4%.
Man-made yarn, fabrics and made-ups posted stronger growth of about 4%, with exports increasing from ₹41,196 crore to ₹42,688 crore.
Among value-added segments, handicrafts excluding handmade carpets recorded the highest growth among major categories, rising by 6% from ₹14,946 crore to ₹15,855 crore.
Geographical expansion
Export growth was registered in more than 120 destinations during April 2025 to February 2026 over the corresponding period of the previous year, indicating broad-based geographical expansion in India’s textile export basket.
Notable growth was observed in key markets such as UAE (22%), UK (8%), Germany (10%), Spain (16%), Japan (21%), Egypt (38%), Nigeria (21%), Senegal (54%) and Sudan (206%).
Policy support, FTA momentum
The Government has continued to support the sector through key export facilitation and remission measures, including the extension of the Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) Scheme and the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) Scheme beyond March 31, 2026.
India’s free trade agreement (FTA) agenda also saw progress during FY26, with developments expected to improve preferential market access, reduce tariff disadvantages, support supply chain integration and open new opportunities across textiles, apparel, handicrafts and technical textiles.
Outlook
The continued growth in textile exports, coupled with sustained policy support, underlines the Government’s focus on strengthening the sector, promoting employment and advancing higher value-added exports, while supporting deeper integration into global value chains.