The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), in association with the Union Ministry of Textiles and the Cotton Corporation of India, organised the 5th Global Cotton Conference in New Delhi on October 7, bringing together stakeholders across the cotton value chain, including women farmers, to deliberate on building a robust, resilient and sustainable cotton ecosystem in India.
Supported by Kasturi Cotton, CITI-CDRA and Sharda University, the Conference coincided with World Cotton Day 2026 and was themed “Cotton for Good: Building Prosperity Through Trade, Transformation and Partnership”. Discussions focused on sustainability, traceability and transparency across the cotton value chain; recognising and empowering women cotton farmers during the ‘International Year of the Woman Farmer’; unlocking the value of organic cotton; harnessing technology to improve productivity; and managing market, credit and operational risks.
Several MoUs were exchanged at the inaugural function, including MoUs between the CITI-Cotton Development and Research Association (CITI-CDRA) and German development agency GIZ on Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton, MoUs between CITI and CottonConnect, and CITI and Fair Labor Association (FLA), as well as those involving the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL).
The announcement of Initiatives connected with Kasturi Cotton Bharat and the release of the CITI-CDRA video showcasing its activities also formed part of the inaugural function.
Speakers underscored the importance of technology, innovation, better farm practices and a greater focus on quality, traceability and transparency. They noted that a sustainable and productive cotton value chain can help farmers prosper, enable manufacturers to scale responsibly, strengthen exporters and enhance India’s position in the global textiles and apparel market.
Industry representatives called for stable, long-term policies on cotton pricing and availability, alongside measures to improve productivity.
Speaking at the inaugural function, Cotton Corporation of India Chairman-cum-Managing Director Shri Lalit Kumar Gupta said a greater focus on quality, sustainability and traceability was the need of the hour for the growth of the Indian cotton textile sector.
Echoing this sentiment, Shri Ashwin Chandran, Chairman of CITI and CITI-CDRA, emphasised that Indian cotton’s quality matters more than quantity. He also called for closer collaboration among stakeholders to strengthen India’s cotton textile ecosystem.
CITI Vice Chairman Shri Shreyaskar Chaudhary and TEXPROCIL Vice-Chairman Shri Dharmendra Goyal also addressed the gathering. Textile Commissioner Ms Vrunda Manohar Desai chaired the session titled “From Farm to Luxury: Unlocking the Value of Organic Cotton”.
In 2021, the United Nations General Assembly officially designated October 7 as World Cotton Day, recognising cotton’s vital role in society.
Cotton is the backbone of rural economies and supports millions of livelihoods across India’s textile value chain. Although India is among the world’s largest cotton growers, its productivity trails that of several peer countries, affecting export competitiveness. The productivity challenge is especially significant because cotton remains the primary raw material for most of India’s textile exports.
In May 2026, the Union Cabinet approved ₹5,659.22 crore for the Mission for Cotton Productivity, to be implemented from 2026–27 to 2030–31, to address bottlenecks, declining growth and quality concerns in India’s cotton sector.
The textile and apparel sector is India’s second-biggest employer and a major contributor to GDP and exports. During April-August 2026, India’s textile exports rose 6.94% in US dollar terms, while apparel exports declined 9.10%, leaving cumulative textile and apparel exports marginally lower by 0.24% year-on-year. India aims to build a $350 billion textile and apparel industry by 2030, including $100 billion in exports.
