India’s textile and apparel exports fall in Feb but grow overall

T&A exports registered a 7.19 per cent growth in the first eleven months of FY 2024-25 (April-February).

India’s textile and apparel (T&A) exports recorded a slight decline in February 2025 following strong growth in January. Despite this drop, the contraction in T&A exports was relatively smaller compared to the overall decline in the country’s merchandise exports. T&A exports fell by 2.27 per cent to $3.216 billion, while total goods exports stood at $36.912 billion for the month. Overall, merchandise exports decreased by 10.85 per cent in February 2025. However, T&A exports registered a 7.19 per cent growth in the first eleven months of FY 2024-25 (April-February), reaching $33.217 billion. In contrast, total goods exports inched up by just 0.06 per cent during the same period.

Apparel exports in February 2025 increased by 3.97 per cent to $1.534 billion, while textile exports declined by 7.35 per cent to $1.681 billion. Over the eleven-month period, apparel exports rose by 10.71 per cent to $14.458 billion, while textile exports grew by 4.63 per cent to $18.759 billion compared to the previous fiscal.

The share of T&A in India’s total merchandise exports increased to 8.40 per cent between April 2024 and February 2025, rising to 8.71 per cent in the latest month.

Within the textile sector, exports of cotton yarn, fabrics, made-ups, and handloom products increased by 3.29 per cent to $10.938 billion over eleven months. Man-made yarn, fabrics, and made-ups exports rose by 4.54 per cent to $4.432 billion, while carpet exports saw a significant increase of 12.52 per cent, reaching $1.403 billion. In February 2025, exports of cotton yarn, fabrics, made-ups, and handloom products declined by 4.41 per cent to $981.80 million, while exports of man-made yarn, fabrics, and made-ups fell by 8.36 per cent to $395.65 million. Carpet exports, however, increased by 4.87 per cent to $118.87 million.

Imports of raw cotton and waste surged by 107.38 per cent to $1.140 billion between April 2024 and February 2025, compared to $549.86 million in the previous fiscal. Imports of textile yarn, fabrics, and made-ups increased by 7.83 per cent, rising to $2.282 billion. In February 2025 alone, raw cotton and waste imports saw a sharp rise of 217.72 per cent to $99.86 million, while imports of textile yarn, fabrics, and made-ups grew by 6.38 per cent to $196.87 million.

For FY24, India’s T&A exports totalled $34.430 billion, reflecting a 3.24 per cent decline from $35.581 billion in FY23. Apparel exports dropped by 10.25 per cent to $14.532 billion, while textile exports grew by 2.62 per cent to $19.898 billion. Imports of raw cotton and waste in FY24 stood at $598.63 million, marking a 58.39 per cent decline from $1.439 billion in the previous fiscal. Imports of textile yarn, fabrics, and made-ups also fell by 12.98 per cent to $2.278 billion from $2.618 billion in FY23.