Apparel Export Slump Offsets Gains In India’s Textile Exports In June: CITI

New Delhi, Jul 14 (KNN) India’s textile exports recorded nearly 10 per cent growth in June 2026, but a sharp decline in apparel shipments limited overall sectoral growth, according to an analysis by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI). 

According to the ‘CITI Analysis of Exports and Imports of Textile and Apparel for June 2026’, the Indian textile exports grew 9.64 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in June 2026, while apparel exports declined 11.25 per cent during the same period, ANI reported.

Overall Exports Largely Unchanged

Combined exports of textiles and apparel stood at USD 2.91 billion in June, registering only a marginal increase of 0.21 per cent compared to the same period last year. The strong performance in textiles was largely offset by weakness in the apparel segment.

Quarterly Performance Remains Weak

The subdued trend continued in the first quarter of FY2027. Between April and June, textile exports grew 5.19 per cent YoY, whereas apparel exports declined 12.44 per cent. As a result, cumulative exports of textiles and apparel fell 2.95 per cent to USD 8.81 billion, down from USD 9.08 billion in the corresponding period last year.

Mixed Performance Across Segments

Within textiles, handicrafts excluding handmade carpets posted the highest growth, rising 59.7 per cent YoY to USD 208.31 million. Exports of cotton yarn, fabrics, made-ups and handloom products increased 8.82 per cent to USD 1.01 billion, while man-made yarn and related products saw a modest rise of 2.83 per cent. In contrast, jute manufactured goods exports declined 29.07 per cent, and carpet exports fell 5.82 per cent during the month.

Sector’s Share in Exports Declines

The share of textiles and apparel in India’s total merchandise exports fell to 7.19 per cent in June 2026, compared to 8.30 per cent a year earlier. For the April–June quarter, the sector’s share declined to 6.82 per cent from 8.14 per cent in the same period last year.

Imports See Sharp Rise in Cotton

On the import front, cotton raw and waste imports surged 151.02 per cent YoY to USD 185.08 million in June. Imports of textile yarn, fabrics and made-ups also rose 4.93 per cent to USD 216.32 million, based on data from the Ministry of Commerce cited in the analysis.

(KNN Bureau)