Textile Industry India: Key Players, Challenges, and What’s Really Happening

When you think of textile industry India, the massive, centuries-old sector that employs over 45 million people and contributes nearly 2% to India’s GDP. Also known as Indian textile manufacturing, it’s not just about cotton and handlooms—it’s a complex web of fiber production, spinning, weaving, dyeing, and global exports that shapes everything from your T-shirt to export revenue. This isn’t a fading industry. It’s one that’s being reshaped—by giants, policy shifts, and sudden collapses.

The Reliance Textiles, the largest textile company in India, controlling everything from synthetic fibers to retail chains. Also known as Reliance Industries textile division, it operates at a scale no other Indian firm matches—vertically integrated, tech-driven, and export-focused. Meanwhile, smaller players like Arvind and Vardhman still hold strong in niche markets, but they’re fighting rising labor costs, outdated machinery, and cheaper imports from Bangladesh and Vietnam. The Indian textile industry collapse, a sharp decline in exports and domestic competitiveness between 2018 and 2022. Also known as textile sector downturn, wasn’t caused by one thing—it was a mix of policy delays, lack of automation, and failure to keep up with global sustainability standards. Factories that still rely on manual looms can’t compete with machines that produce 10x faster with fewer errors.

What’s left? A divided industry. On one side, corporations with billion-dollar investments and smart factories. On the other, thousands of tiny units still using century-old techniques. But change is coming. Government schemes are pushing for modernization. Exporters are finally adopting eco-certifications. And new players are entering with direct-to-consumer models that cut out middlemen. You’ll find real stories here—about who’s winning, who’s losing, and what it actually takes to survive in this space today. No fluff. Just facts from the floor.