Amid growing concerns over rising raw material costs and supply shortages, a delegation representing India’s textile and apparel export industry has urged the government to reconsider the 11 per cent customs duty on cotton imports. The industry representatives met Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Thursday, seeking immediate intervention to support the sector as it grapples with increasing pressure on production costs and cotton availability.

The meeting followed a series of high-level discussions held on Wednesday, where the delegation, led by A. Sakthivel, also met Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh with the same request.

The delegation included representatives from several leading textile and apparel industry associations from the Tirupur cluster, including the Tiruppur Exporters’ Association (TEA), SIHMA, TTPK, DAT, TEKMA, TEKPA, and SIIMKA.

Industry leaders highlighted that the textile sector’s estimated cotton requirement for the current year stands at approximately 337 lakh bales, while projected cotton arrivals for the 2025-26 season are expected to reach only 292.15 lakh bales. This, according to the delegation, has created a significant supply gap of nearly 45 lakh bales.

The representatives stated that the shortfall has placed considerable strain on spinning mills and downstream textile manufacturers due to limited access to quality raw materials and steadily rising input costs. They stressed that removing the import duty on cotton would help stabilise raw material prices and improve the competitiveness of Indian textile exports in the global market.

The industry’s demand comes at a time when the government is already evaluating the matter. On April 28, a senior official from the Ministry of Textiles had indicated that the government was considering either reducing or completely removing the customs duty imposed on cotton imports.

Bipin Menon, Trade Advisor, Ministry of Textiles, had stated, “We are working with the Department of Revenue to see whether a reduction can happen.”

The textile and apparel industry has consistently maintained that the continuation of the 11 per cent customs duty on raw cotton imports is adding to cost pressures for domestic manufacturers at a time when global competition remains intense. Industry stakeholders believe that easing the duty structure would provide critical relief to manufacturers and exporters while helping safeguard growth momentum across the textile value chain.