Cost to capability shift key to hit $100 bn textile export target: CMAI
The country's next phase of export growth will depend less on expanding manufacturing capacity and more on strengthening enterprise capabilities to meet changing global buyer expectations, said the India Textiles & Apparel CXO Blueprint 2030, prepared jointly by the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) and the Global Alliance for Textile Sustainability (GATS).The report had been released at an opportune time in the presence of global buyers and would serve as a guide for the country's textile ecosystem, helping stakeholders unlock new growth opportunities and strengthen the sector's global competitiveness, said Union textiles minister Giriraj Singh while releasing the report during the ongoing Bharat Tex 2026.The report comes at a time when the government is looking to expand India's presence in global textile markets through free trade agreements, including those with the UAE and the UK, as well as initiatives such as PM MITRA and the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme.According to the blueprint, India's textile and apparel exports have remained at around $40 billion annually for the past six years, growing at only 0.8% annually, significantly below the 3.5% growth in global textile and apparel trade. India currently accounts for 4.1% of global textile and apparel trade, making it the world's sixth-largest exporter, while the sector provides direct employment to nearly 45 million people.Exports dropOverall, textile and apparel exports dropped 2.2% to $35.7 billion in FY26 from $36.6 billion in FY25, while a weaker rupee actually boosted earnings in local currency. In rupee terms, exports grew 2.1% to
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