New Delhi: The textiles ministry is reorienting its cotton strategy from protecting crops against pests to improving productivity, targeting a sharp increase in yields over the next five years, two officials aware of the development said. The move is aimed at boosting domestic cotton production and strengthening India's position as a global sourcing hub for textiles.
India's cotton productivity has remained well below the global average of 833 kg per hectare despite having the world's largest area under cotton cultivation. Under the ₹5,659 crore Cotton Productivity Mission (Kapas Kanti), the Centre aims to raise average cotton productivity from 428 kg per hectare in FY26 to 755 kg per hectare by FY31 through phased annual improvements of at least 50 kg per hectare.
Cotton yields stood at 428 kg per hectare in FY22, 443 kg in FY23, 436 kg in FY24, 440 kg in FY25 and an estimated 428 kg in FY26, highlighting stagnation in productivity, according to official data.
“Over the years, considerable resources have been spent on protecting cotton crops from pests such as pink bollworm and whitefly. Farmers today are far more aware of crop protection practices. The next phase is to improve productivity," one official said. “The productivity targets will be achieved in a phased and graded manner.”
The mission is being implemented jointly by the ministries of textiles and agriculture.
“The strategy focuses on training farmers in high-density planting, ensuring the availability of high-yielding cotton seed varieties, promoting the adoption of best agricultural practices and other productivity-enhancing interventions," the second official said.
Depending on imports
The renewed focus on productivity comes amid rising dependence on imported cotton and declining domestic output. Raw cotton imports surged 54.6% to $1.86 billion in FY26 from $1.2 billion in FY25, according to data from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. Imports rose 19.7% year-on-year to $222.71 million during April-May compared with $186.09 million in the corresponding period last year.
Cotton production has declined steadily. From 33.66 million bales in FY23, output fell to 32.52 million bales in FY24, 29.72 million bales in FY25 and an estimated 29.1 million bales in FY26, according to the agriculture ministry. One cotton bale is equal to 170 kg in India.
The productivity challenge is compounded by a steady decline in the area under cotton cultivation from 123.72 lakh hectares in FY22 to 115.25 lakh hectares in FY26. The area cultivated expanded to 129.27 lakh hectares in FY23 before declining to 126.88 lakh hectares in FY24 and 114.84 lakh hectares in FY25.
The decline has widened the gap between domestic demand and production. Industry estimates place India's cotton consumption at 32.8 million bales, leaving a shortfall of 3.7 million bales, which has increasingly been met through imports.
“Land under cotton is not increasing, so improving productivity is the only way forward. Farmers need access to better seed varieties and guidance on scientific cultivation if yields are to improve," said Ganesh Nanote, a cotton grower from the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.
The government should revise the minimum support price for cotton in line with rising cultivation costs, Nanote said, adding that greater access to affordable mechanized harvesting equipment would encourage farmers when there is an acute shortage of farm labour.
Textile industry
The government plans to increase cotton production to 49.8 million bales by FY31 from an estimated 29.1 million bales in FY26. Domestic consumption is expected to rise to 45 million bales by then.
About 3.2 million cotton farmers across major producing states are expected to benefit from the mission.
The productivity push is critical for India's textile industry, which generates annual exports of about $35 billion-40 billion, equivalent to 8-10% of the country's merchandise exports.
The government has set a target of $100 billion in textile exports by 2030, making adequate domestic availability of cotton a key policy priority.
"Improving farm productivity will make the entire ecosystem more competitive, enabling sustained double-digit growth in cotton product exports from the current annual level of around $19 billion," said Prabhu Dhamodharan, convenor of the Coimbatore-based Indian Texpreneurs Federation.
India exported $4.82 billion worth of cotton products during April-June FY27, comprising cotton yarn ($956 million), cotton fabrics and made-ups ($1.61 billion), and cotton garments ($2.25 billion).
“The opportunity is far bigger than what India is currently capturing. The US alone imports around $35 billion worth of cotton apparel every year, while India's share is only about 10-11%,” Dhamodharan said.
With the UK free trade agreement already signed and negotiations with the European Union progressing, India is well placed to expand its global market share. But achieving that will require higher cotton productivity, competitive raw material prices and lower contamination levels, Dhamodharan said.
Queries sent to the ministries of textiles and agriculture remained unanswered till press time.