18 Mar '25
(Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL): India's textile and apparel (T&A) exports dipped in February 2025 after impressive growth in January. However, the decline in textile and apparel exports was minimal compared to the overall drop in the country’s merchandise exports.
The country's T&A exports eased by 2.27 per cent to $3.216 billion, against total goods exports of $36.912 billion for the month. Overall, goods exports declined by 10.85 per cent in February 2025. However, textile and apparel exports grew by 7.19 per cent, reaching $33.217 billion in the first eleven months of the current fiscal 2024-25 (April-March), while total goods exports inched up by 0.06 per cent over the same period.
Insights
India's textile and apparel (T&A) exports declined by 2.27 per cent in February 2025, contrasting with January's growth.
However, this drop was less severe than the 10.85 per cent fall in overall merchandise exports.
Despite February's dip, T&A exports grew 7.19 per cent in April–February FY25.
Apparel exports rose 3.97 per cent, while textile exports fell 7.35 per cent.
Apparel exports increased by 3.97 per cent to $1.534 billion in February, while textile exports declined by 7.35 per cent to $1.681 billion in the same month. Apparel exports rose by 10.71 per cent, reaching $14.458 billion, up from $13.059 billion in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal. Textile exports grew by 4.63 per cent to $18.759 billion in the first eleven months of FY25, compared to $17.928 billion in the same period of the previous year.
The share of T&A in India’s total merchandise exports increased to 8.40 per cent during April 2024–February 2025 and to 8.71 per cent in the latest reported month, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Trade.
Within the textile sector, exports of cotton yarn, fabrics, made-ups, and handloom products increased modestly by 3.29 per cent, reaching $10.938 billion in the first eleven months of this fiscal. Exports of man-made yarn, fabrics, and made-ups rose by 4.54 per cent to $4.432 billion, while carpet exports saw a significant increase of 12.52 per cent to $1,403.97 million.
In February 2025, exports of cotton yarn, fabrics, made-ups, and handloom products eased by 4.41 per cent to $981.80 million, while exports of man-made yarn, fabrics, and made-ups declined by 8.36 per cent to $395.65 million. Carpet exports, however, increased by 4.87 per cent to $118.87 million.
Imports of raw cotton and waste surged by 107.38 per cent to $1,140.28 million in April–February 2025, compared to $549.86 million in the same period of the last fiscal. Imports of textile yarn, fabrics, and made-ups increased by 7.83 per cent, rising from $2,116.74 million to $2,282.50 million.
In February 2025, imports of raw cotton and waste saw an astonishing surge of 217.72 per cent, from $31.43 million to $99.86 million. Similarly, imports of textile yarn, fabrics, and made-ups rose by 6.38 per cent to $196.87 million in the latest month.
In FY24, India’s textile and apparel exports amounted to $34.430 billion, a 3.24 per cent decline from $35.581 billion in FY23. Apparel exports dropped by 10.25 per cent, falling to $14.532 billion from $16.190 billion. Conversely, textile exports grew by 2.62 per cent, reaching $19.898 billion from $19.390 billion in FY23.
India’s imports of raw cotton and waste were valued at $598.63 million in FY24, a 58.39 per cent decrease from $1,439.70 million in the previous fiscal. Imports of textile yarn, fabrics, and made-ups also declined by 12.98 per cent to $2,277.85 million, compared to $2,617.74 million in FY23.
(Source: Fibre2Fashion.com)