The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has been asked
to identify one district in each state for conducting
cotton productivity trials, Union Minister Giriraj Singh
said. Speaking to reporters here, the textiles minister
said the government is intensifying efforts to boost cotton
productivity by adopting global best practices, to increase
the per hectare yield, as countries including Brazil, China,
Australia and Russia produce 2,000 to 2,200 kg per hectare
whereas India’s average production is 450-500 kg per
hectare. “I have told CCI to identify districts across states
for cotton trial production. Now we will take Akola model to
saturation mode,” Singh said.
Moreover, he shared plans to take India’s textiles market
size to USD 350 billion by 2030 from USD 176 billion at
present.
“The country’s textile sector is the biggest employment
creator after agriculture. We have set a target to take it
(number of textile jobs) to 6 crore from 4.5 crore at present.
The textile sector has got an allocation of Rs 5,300 crore in
the Budget. In the coming days we will increase job creation
and exports from the textiles sector. At present the
domestic market size is USD 176 billion. We will increase
this to USD 350 billion,” said the minister.
Talking about the mega textile exhibition Bharat Tex to be
held this month, he said, around 6,000 foreign exhibitors
from 126 nations will participate in the event this time,
doubling from 3,000 last year.
The minister also exuded confidence that Carbon fibre, a
technical textile used in missiles, drones, etc., will be
produced in India by 2026.
Union Budget 2025-26 proposes a five-year Cotton Mission
to increase cotton productivity especially of extra-long
staple varieties. It allocated Rs 500 crore for the National
Cotton Technology Mission
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