Cotton continues to play a pivotal role in India's agricultural and industrial economy, with the country remaining the only nation cultivating all four recognised cotton species while ranking first globally in cultivated area and second in production and consumption. Cotton production stood at 290.91 lakh bales (provisional) in 2025-26, while domestic consumption reached 328 lakh bales during the same period. The sector contributes nearly 19% of global fibre production and supports the livelihoods of around 60 lakh cotton farmers, besides generating employment for 4-5 crore people engaged in processing, textiles and trade. India exported cotton and cotton products worth Rs. 98,166.49 crore (US$ 11.61 billion) in FY25, reinforcing its position as a major global supplier. Recent government initiatives, including Minimum Support Price (MSP) operations, the Mission for Cotton Productivity and the Kasturi Cotton Bharat programme, are focused on improving productivity, quality, traceability and market access.
The five-year Mission for Cotton Productivity, launched in 2025-26 with an outlay of Rs. 5,659.22 crore (US$ 640.36 million), aims to increase cotton production from 297 lakh bales to 498 lakh bales by 2031 while benefiting around 32 lakh farmers across 140 districts in 14 cotton-producing states. During the 2025-26 cotton season, the Cotton Corporation of India procured 105.09 lakh bales valued at Rs. 41,530 crore (US$ 4.70 billion) under MSP operations, strengthening income support for farmers. Technology-driven initiatives such as the Kapas Kisan mobile application, which has registered over 41 lakh farmers, and Kasturi Cotton Bharat's QR-based certification and blockchain-enabled traceability are enhancing transparency, quality assurance and global competitiveness. These initiatives are expected to strengthen India's cotton value chain, improve farmer incomes and reinforce the country's leadership in the global textile and fibre industry.
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