Indian textile industry: What’s made, who leads, and why it matters

When you think of the Indian textile industry, a massive, centuries-old sector that produces everything from handwoven silk to mass-produced cotton fabric for global brands. Also known as India’s textile and apparel sector, it employs over 45 million people and contributes nearly 2% to the country’s GDP. This isn’t just about saris and khadi—it’s a complex network of small mills, family-run looms, and export-focused factories that turn raw cotton into clothes worn across the world.

The cotton production India, the backbone of the textile supply chain, with states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Telangana leading output feeds into spinning mills that then supply weaving units. Many of these are tiny operations—sometimes just a few looms in a backyard—that still make up over 90% of the industry. Meanwhile, textile exports India, hit over $44 billion in 2024, with the U.S., UAE, and Bangladesh as top buyers. The real story isn’t just volume—it’s how local manufacturers are shifting from selling fabric to selling finished garments, adding value at home instead of exporting raw materials.

There’s a quiet revolution happening in places like Tiruppur, Surat, and Ludhiana, where small manufacturers are using government schemes to upgrade machines, cut waste, and meet global quality standards. These aren’t giant factories—they’re workshops that make 500 shirts a day, not 50,000. But they’re the ones filling orders for brands you recognize. And they’re doing it without massive debt, relying on local talent, traditional skills, and smart use of materials.

What you won’t see in headlines are the women running dyeing units in Rajasthan, the engineers in Tamil Nadu retrofitting old looms with digital controls, or the cooperatives in Assam turning wild silk into premium scarves for European markets. These are the real players. The posts below dive into exactly how these businesses operate—their costs, their challenges, their profit margins, and how they’re surviving (and thriving) in a world that often overlooks them.