Union Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman calls for stronger textile value chain

Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, presided over TEXPROCIL Export Awards 2023–24 ceremony in Mumbai today. The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL), sponsored by the Government of India, organized the award ceremony to recognize outstanding performers in India’s cotton textile export sector. Smt. Sitharaman distributed the TEXPROCIL Awards to exporters for outstanding performance in exports. Awards were also presented in categories recognizing employment generation, innovation, ESG initiatives and excellence in e-commerce.

She also launched the Advanced Certificate Program in International Trade (ACPIT), an initiative aimed at strengthening India’s export ecosystem, on the occasion. This structured certification programme of TEXPROCIL has been designed in alignment with various Government schemes and policy initiatives to enhance the country’s global trade competitiveness.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Finance Minister emphasised the need to strengthen the entire textile value chain, “from farm to fibre, factory, fashion and foreign markets”, to ensure a robust and uninterrupted cotton yarn ecosystem. Referring to the Sindhu-Saraswati Civilisation and archaeological evidence, the Union Minister noted that India’s rich textile and weaving heritage dates back to ancient times and continues to shape its global identity in the sector. Fulfilling the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047 will require ambitious action, including reaching USD 100 billion in textile exports and USD 250 billion in textile production by 2030, further noted by the Union Finance Minister.

Smt. Vrunda Desai, Textile Commissioner, Government of India, who was present on the occasion, thanked the Union Finance Minister for key textile initiatives announced in the Union Budget, including the Textile Expansion and Employment Scheme, National Fibre Scheme, Tex-Eco Initiative and Samarth 2.0, and reaffirmed the Ministry of Textiles’ commitment towards supporting the sustained growth and modernization of the textile sector.

TEXPROCIL Chairman Vijay Agarwal highlighted the cotton textile sector’s major contribution to India’s economy, noting that TEXPROCIL’s 2,000 exporters contribute nearly US$ 11 billion in exports while the wider ecosystem supports around 35 million jobs.(UPDATED ON 25TH MAY 2026)