Textiles in India: Key Players, Challenges, and What’s Really Made
When we talk about textiles, fabric and fiber products made for clothing, home use, or industry. Also known as fabric manufacturing, they form the backbone of one of India’s oldest and largest industries. From handwoven khadi to high-speed synthetic yarn, textiles are everywhere—in your clothes, your curtains, even the filters in your car. But behind the scenes, this sector is under pressure. Rising costs, global competition, and shifting policies have forced factories to adapt or shut down.
The Indian textile industry, the network of mills, weavers, exporters, and retailers producing fabric and garments in India is dominated by a few giants. Reliance Industries, the largest textile company in India, controlling fiber production, spinning, weaving, and retail under one roof outpaces rivals like Arvind and Vardhman not just in size, but in how deeply it controls every step. Meanwhile, small manufacturers still make up over 80% of the sector, often working with old looms and local cotton, trying to survive in a world that wants cheaper, faster, and more automated production.
It’s not all decline. India still exports over $40 billion in textiles yearly. But the real story isn’t about volume—it’s about value. Factories that stuck to basic cotton shirts are losing. Those that moved into technical textiles—like medical gowns, geotextiles for roads, or heat-resistant fabrics for firefighters—are growing. Government schemes try to help with subsidies, but many small players still can’t afford the tech upgrades needed to compete. And while China dominates global volumes, India’s advantage is speed, flexibility, and a massive workforce skilled in handwork.
What you’ll find below isn’t just a list of articles. It’s a real look at what’s happening on the ground: who owns the biggest mills, why some textile businesses collapsed, how profit margins really work, and what’s being made in India today that you might not even know about. No theory. No fluff. Just facts from factories, export records, and the people running them.
