In March 2026, textile and apparel exports dipped to $2.912 billion from $3.387 billion in the same month of the last year. According to an analysis by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), textile exports slipped to $1.671 billion in March, while apparel exports declined to $1.240 billion.
India’s textile and apparel exports fell sharply in March 2026, declining 14.02 per cent year on year (YoY) to $2.91 billion amid geopolitical disruptions.
Apparels dropped 18.99 per cent and textiles 9.91 per cent.
FY 2025–26 exports slipped 2.21 per cent, with sector share easing to 8.10 per cent.
Cotton imports surged annually, while MMF trends remained relatively stable.
Category-wise, exports of cotton yarn, fabrics, made-ups and handloom products fell 10.26 per cent to $1,003.18 million. Man-made fibre-based exports eased 13.26 per cent to $377.88 million. Carpet exports dropped 11.03 per cent, while handicrafts excluding carpets dipped 11.03 per cent, according to the latest trade data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
On a cumulative basis, India’s textile and apparel exports also fell during the April 2025- March 2026 period. Textile and apparel exports eased 2.21 per cent YoY to $35.799 billion. Textile exports declined 2.86 per cent to $20.027 billion in the period, while apparel exports eased 1.36 per cent to $15.772 billion. The sector’s share in India’s total merchandise exports slipped to 8.10 per cent, down from 8.36 per cent a year earlier.
Raw cotton and cotton waste imports dipped 30.38 per cent in March to $55.03 million. For April- March, cotton imports were up 54.91 per cent to $1,888.79 million. Imports of textile yarn, fabric and made-ups increased 2.86 per cent to $198.43 million in March 2026, while they increased by 5.12 per cent to $2,601.95 million during April 2025 to March 2026.
Commenting on the trade data, Ashwin Chandran, Chairman of CITI, said, “MMF is aligning with global demand, while cotton textiles face stress amid rising costs and a 54.9 per cent surge in imports, prompting calls to remove import duty. With the removal of US tariff and new FTA opportunities, the industry is optimistic, supported by likely easing of West Asia tensions.”
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
