Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh addressed delegates at Textile Summit 2026, themed 'Textiles for Global Markets' (वैश्विक बाजारों के लिए वस्त्र), held at the Pusa Institute in New Delhi on Tuesday, 23 June 2026. The summit brought together industry representatives, domain experts, and other stakeholders from across India to chart a course for elevating the country's textile sector in international markets.

Context

Posting on X, Singh wrote that he 'participated in and addressed the delegates present at Textile Summit 2026 — Textiles for Global Markets, held at Pusa Institute, New Delhi.' He noted that the presence of industry representatives, experts, and stakeholders from various states made the summit 'ek mahatvapurn pahal' — 'an important initiative' — towards taking India's textile sector to new heights in global markets.

The venue, Pusa Institute — the New Delhi campus of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) — has occasionally served as a convening ground for sector-specific policy and trade summits of national significance.

Policy Backdrop

The summit sits within a long arc of central government efforts to grow India's share of global textile trade. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Textiles, approved in 2021 with an outlay of Rs 10,683 crore, was designed specifically to promote man-made fibre apparel and technical textiles — segments where India has historically lagged behind dominant producers.

Earlier, the Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (ATUFS), launched in 2016, aimed at modernising textile manufacturing units across the country. Together, these schemes form the policy scaffolding within which events like Textile Summit 2026 are positioned — as platforms to translate scheme intent into industry action and export momentum.

Stakeholders and Impact

The summit's cross-sectional attendance — drawing textile exporters, MSME manufacturers, and technical experts from multiple states — signals an effort to build a unified industry position ahead of potential trade negotiations and export target-setting. India's textile and apparel sector is one of the country's largest employment generators, with millions of workers, particularly women, engaged across the value chain.

For MSME manufacturers, such summits often serve as an early indicator of upcoming scheme modifications, credit-linked incentives, or export facilitation measures. Industry bodies representing man-made fibre and technical textile producers are among the stakeholders with the most direct interest in the summit's outcomes.

What's Next

Observers will watch for any fresh export targets, extensions of existing schemes, or announcements linked to ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations that may be attributed to the summit's deliberations. Quarterly textile export data and parliamentary questions on PLI scheme utilisation will serve as the clearest indicators of whether the summit's stated ambitions translate into measurable trade outcomes.

With global supply chains continuing to shift and major economies seeking alternatives to dominant textile producers, India's ability to convert domestic convenings like this into sustained export growth will be the key test for the Ministry of Textiles in the months ahead.