Mission for Cotton Productivity aims to improve yields, fibre quality, mechanisation, and reduce dependence on ELS cotton imports

Cotton has remained one of India’s major agricultural commodities and has received policy support from the Government over several decades. The Technology Mission on Cotton (TMC), launched in 1999, played a significant role in expanding India’s cotton economy and strengthening the competitiveness of the textile industry.

During the TMC period, cotton production increased from around 178 lakh bales to nearly 398 lakh bales by 2013–14, while the cultivated area expanded from about 92 lakh hectares to 128 lakh hectares, representing nearly 36–38% of global cotton acreage.

Following the closure of TMC, cotton productivity and production gradually declined, with current production standing at 292 lakh bales. The decline impacted cotton farmers as well as the textile manufacturing sector. According to SIMA, Bt cotton technology, which had contributed significantly to productivity growth, became obsolete after 2012, leading to technology stagnation, higher pest incidence, and slower adoption of advanced farming technologies.

To address these challenges, the Union Ministry of Textiles constituted a Textile Advisory Group (TAG) on Cotton with industry representatives. The group recommended several policy measures, including the need for a revised TMC 2.0 framework, which subsequently led to the announcement of the Mission for Cotton Productivity.

Durai Palanisamy (Chairman) SIMA

In a press release issued today, Mr. Durai Palanisamy, Chairman of SIMA, expressed his sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Hon’ble Prime Minister & the Hon’ble Ministers of Agriculture and Textiles for the announcement of the National Mission for Cotton Productivity (“Kapas Kranti”) in the Union Budget 2025–26 and the Union Cabinet’s approval of the Mission for Cotton Productivity (MCP) with a total outlay of ₹5,659.22 crore up to 2030–31.

The Mission is expected to focus on improving cotton productivity, increasing farmers income, ensuring the availability of quality cotton to the textile industry, and strengthening fibre quality through improved seeds, advanced farming practices, mechanisation, pest management, and focused R&D initiatives led by institutions such as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

SIMA stated that the Mission could also help reduce dependence on imports of Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton at a time when India’s cotton productivity remains around 450–500 kg lint/ha, lower than countries such as Brazil and China.

Mr. Durai expressed confidence that the Mission would help in restoring the strength and competitiveness of the Indian cotton sector and create a sustainable growth pathway for millions of cotton farmers and the entire textile value chain. He pointed out that nearly 80% of India’s textile exports are cotton-based, underlining the importance of cotton to the country’s textile economy.

He further noted that global demand for Indian cotton yarn and fabrics is improving, particularly from China, which has started building cotton yarn reserves. Despite geopolitical uncertainties and global trade challenges, the Indian textile industry has remained resilient and is working towards leveraging opportunities arising from recently concluded FTAs to expand market share and explore new export destinations.

Mr. Durai also emphasised that assured availability of quality home-grown cotton, especially Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton, would support the textile industry, which currently depends on imports for manufacturing value-added export products.

He stated that the approval of the Mission for Cotton Productivity is a timely initiative aligned with the goal of achieving “Viksit Bharat 2047” and supporting the target of building a USD 350 billion Indian textile economy by 2030.