Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh on Wednesday, 24 June 2026 highlighted India's rising global profile in the textile sector, citing the India-UK Free Trade Agreement, China's declining market share, and domestic production incentive schemes as key drivers of the country's emergence as a leading textile hub.

Posting on X, the minister wrote: 'माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी जी के नेतृत्व में भारत का वस्त्र क्षेत्र वैश्विक स्तर पर नई पहचान बना रहा है' — 'Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's textile sector is establishing a new identity on the global stage.' He added that China's shrinking market share and historic steps like the India-UK FTA have opened fresh export opportunities, while the PLI scheme, mega textile parks, and export-oriented policies are accelerating India's rise as a major global textile hub.

Context

The post comes amid a sustained push by the Ministry of Textiles to position India as the preferred alternative to China in global apparel and fabric supply chains. Supply-chain disruptions since 2020 have prompted international buyers to diversify sourcing, and India has been actively pitching itself as a reliable, large-scale supplier. Minister Singh's remarks align with the government's Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, which identifies textiles as a priority sector for employment generation and export earnings.

Policy Backdrop

The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for textiles, notified in September 2021 with an outlay of Rs 10,683 crore, targets man-made fibre and apparel manufacturing to attract large-scale investment. Alongside it, the Pradhan Mantri Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) scheme, cleared by the Cabinet in 2021, envisages seven integrated textile parks offering plug-and-play infrastructure across the textile value chain — from spinning and weaving to garmenting and logistics. Together, these two flagship programmes form the backbone of India's textile modernisation strategy under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat framework.

On the trade front, India and the United Kingdom formally launched FTA negotiations in January 2022, with textiles listed among the priority chapters. An agreement would grant Indian exporters preferential tariff access to the UK market, one of the world's significant apparel import destinations.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of these combined measures are textile exporters and garment micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which account for a large share of employment in the sector. India's textile and apparel industry employs an estimated 4.5 crore workers directly and supports millions more in ancillary activities, making it one of the country's largest sources of non-farm employment. A successful capture of market share from China — the world's largest textile exporter — could translate into significant export revenue and job creation, particularly in states such as Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh, where PM MITRA parks are being developed.

What's Next

Analysts and industry bodies will closely watch the commissioning timelines and occupancy rates of the seven PM MITRA parks as the most concrete near-term indicator of whether policy intent is translating into ground-level capacity. Quarterly textile and apparel export data will be the other key metric, particularly for man-made fibres and readymade garments where India has historically lagged behind Bangladesh, Vietnam and China. If the India-UK FTA is operationalised, the tariff advantage it confers on Indian textile exporters could provide a measurable boost to shipments in the medium term — making the trade deal's final contours and implementation schedule a closely watched development for the sector.