The Union Minister of Textiles, Giriraj Singh and Union Minister of State for Textiles and External Affairs Pabitra Margherita attended the celebration of World Cotton Day 2025 at New Delhi. The event was jointly organized by the Ministry of Textiles and Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) focusing on the theme “Cotton 2040: Technology, Climate & Competitiveness.”
While speaking at the event, the Union Minister reaffirmed the Government’s vision to achieve a USD 350 billion textile industry by 2030, with USD 100 billion in exports, while advancing toward carbon neutrality. He highlighted that cotton is more than just a crop—it embodies the spirit of Indian agriculture and the resilience of its farmers. Extending greetings on World Cotton Day, he said every strand of cotton reflects the dedication, perseverance, and hope of millions of farmers who nurture it with their hard work and faith in the land.
The Union Minister noted that climate change and environmental sustainability pose major challenges to the sector. He emphasized that the climate is changing, and we must use water and electricity judiciously and work together to protect nature. Efficient water use, soil conservation, and adoption of renewable energy are vital to protect India’s predominantly rain-fed cotton regions and to ensure that the hard work of farmers leads to prosperity for generations to come.
Giriraj Singh emphasized that true progress in the cotton sector requires collective effort from all stakeholders—from farmers to exporters. Despite India cultivating 40% of the world’s cotton, yields remain low at about 450 kg per hectare compared to 2,000 kg elsewhere. The proposed Mission for Cotton Productivity seeks to bridge this gap. He further highlighted that consistent MSP hikes over the past decade reflect the Government’s strong commitment to improving farmer welfare and ensuring sustainable agricultural growth.
Highlighting the future potential of natural fibres like milkweed, ramie, and flax, he said that India’s farmers have the strength and wisdom to lead the world in sustainable fibre production. “The world is moving towards eco-friendly products, and our farmers can show the path ahead,” he added.
In a heartfelt appeal, the Minister called upon all stakeholders —ginners, spinners, brands, and exporters — to connect emotionally with the farmers who make the cotton journey possible. Let us make Kasturi Cotton Bharat the pride of every Indian — a cotton that the world recognizes for its purity, quality, and sustainability, just as it does Egyptian Giza or American Supima.
During the opening session, Pabitra Margherita said India must strive to attain a leadership position in quality, sustainability, and ethical production. The Kasturi Cotton initiative has the potential to contribute immensely to the ‘5F’ (farm-fibre-factory-fashion-foreign) vision of the Government, he pointed out. He added that India and Russia could forge deeper ties in the textiles and apparel arena.
Neelam Shami Rao, Secretary Textiles in her address mentioned that World Cotton Day celebrates cotton’s enduring link with livelihoods, sustainability, and innovation. She highlighted that the cotton sector supports six million farmers and provides employment to over 45 million people across the value chain.
She emphasized that the future of Indian cotton lies in technology-led transformation — from advanced cotton breeding and precision farming to digital traceability, data-driven extension services, and modernization of ginning infrastructure. These innovations, she noted, are vital to enhancing productivity, quality, and sustainability.
She urged all stakeholders to adopt a collaborative and technology-integrated approach to address the productivity challenges of the cotton sector. She also underlined the importance of sustainability certifications, quality assurance, and value addition to position Kasturi Cotton Bharat as a globally recognized symbol of purity, quality, and technological excellence. She also urged CITI CDRA to reach more farmers to undertake the High Density Planting System (HDPS).
Dr. M Beena Development Commissioner (Handlooms) & Textile Commissioner reiterated that a focus on technology and innovation is the need of the hour and the Ministry of Textiles is continuously supporting the industry through schemes such as ATUFS, PM MITRA, NTTM etc.
Padmini Singla, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, in her keynote address, emphasized that enhancing sustainability is paramount, and the Ministry has been encouraging a collaborative approach to address the challenges faced by the textile industry. She highlighted the inter-ministerial coordination in launching a holistic plan Mission for Cotton productivity aimed at increasing cotton production and yield, thereby enabling farmers to enhance their income.
She stressed that the collective mission must be to enhance productivity, ensure quality and transparency, and build trust through traceable and sustainable cotton practices. In the global market, she added, labelling, contamination control, and traceability are emerging as non-negotiable trade parameters. Through strategic policies, scientific advancements, and strong industry partnerships, India can regain its leadership in high-quality cotton production, promote climate-smart and sustainable practices, and build a globally recognized brand for trusted, traceable, and premium Indian cotton.
This World Cotton Day 2025 celebration event also witnessed valuable insights from Lalit Kumar Gupta, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of CCI, on the Corporation’s contribution towards empowering cotton farmers of the country through various initiatives and digital transformation.
Ashwin Chandran, Chairman, CITI, and Ravi Sam, Vice Chairman, TEXPROCIL focusing on the importance of cotton and textile industry in driving economic growth, employment generation, and providing livelihood to farmers, women empowerment.
The programme concluded with the signing of Commercial, Community and Council MoUs under the Kasturi Cotton Bharat initiative with renowned organizations like Nitin Spinners, Arvind Ltd, RSR International, All India Cotton FPO Association (AIFCA), Beetle Regen, Hohenstein, ICAR-CIRCOT and Noida Apparel Export Cluster (NAEC). Various other eminent speakers shared their valuable insights during the occasion.
Subscribe our WhatsApp Channel FREE to get regular updates – Click here
Enlist your name FREE in Apparel Manufacturers Directory – Click here
