India’s textile exports registered healthy growth in June 2026, but a sharp decline in apparel shipments limited the overall performance of the country’s textile and apparel sector, according to the latest analysis by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI).
The CITI Analysis of Exports and Imports of Textile and Apparel for June 2026 revealed that textile exports increased 9.64% year-on-year, while apparel exports contracted 11.25% during the month.
As a result, India’s combined textile and apparel exports stood at USD 2.91 billion in June 2026, recording only a marginal growth of 0.21% compared with the same month last year.
The subdued trend continued during the first quarter of FY27. Between April and June 2026, textile exports rose 5.19%, but apparel exports declined 12.44%, leading to a 2.95% year-on-year fall in cumulative textile and apparel exports to USD 8.81 billion, down from USD 9.08 billion in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.
Among the textile segments, handicrafts (excluding handmade carpets) emerged as the strongest performer, with exports surging 59.7% to USD 208.31 million in June. Exports of cotton yarn, fabrics, made-ups and handloom products increased 8.82% to USD 1.01 billion, while man-made yarn, fabrics and made-ups recorded a 2.83% increase.
However, some product categories witnessed significant declines. Jute manufactured products exports fell 29.07%, while carpet exports dropped 5.82% during the month.
The report also highlighted a decline in the sector’s contribution to India’s overall merchandise exports. Textiles and apparel accounted for 7.19% of the country’s total merchandise exports in June 2026, compared with 8.30% in June 2025. During the April-June quarter, the sector’s share declined to 6.82%, down from 8.14% a year earlier.
On the import front, cotton raw and waste imports recorded a sharp 151.02% year-on-year increase to USD 185.08 million in June. Imports of textile yarn, fabrics and made-ups also rose 4.93% to USD 216.32 million, reflecting continued demand for raw materials and intermediate textile products.
The CITI analysis, based on Ministry of Commerce data, indicates that while India’s textile manufacturing segment continues to demonstrate resilience, the sustained weakness in apparel exports remains a key challenge for the country’s overall textile export performance.
