Union Budget Unveils 5-Year Cotton Mission to Boost Productivity
The Union Budget 2025-26 has introduced a five-year Cotton Mission aimed at enhancing cotton productivity, especially for extra-long staple varieties, by leveraging Science and Technology to support farmers. This initiative aligns with the 5 F principle—Farm to Fibre, Fibre to Factory, Factory to Fashion, Fashion to Foreign—and is expected to boost farmer incomes and India’s textile industry competitiveness.
The mission also seeks to reduce India’s dependence on cotton imports, ensuring a steady supply of high-quality cotton for the textile sector, which plays a crucial role in the national economy. With 80% of the country’s textile capacity driven by MSMEs, increasing domestic cotton production will help strengthen the industry, particularly small enterprises.
The Budget also includes a 19% increase in the Ministry of Textiles’ allocation, now at Rs. 5272 crore for 2025-26, reflecting the government’s commitment to sectoral growth. Additional provisions include reduced duties on shuttle-less looms, measures to boost technical textiles, and support for MSMEs, further driving innovation and growth in the textile sector.
