India’s Textile & Apparel Exports Slip 3.75% In January 2026: CITI
India’s textile and apparel (T&A) exports declined 3.75% year-on-year to US$ 3.27 billion in January 2026, according to an analysis by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI).
Textile exports fell 3.68% to US$ 1.73 billion, while apparel shipments dropped 3.84% to US$ 1.54 billion during the month. The sector’s share in India’s total exports also slipped to 8.96% in January 2026 from 9.37% a year ago, even as overall merchandise exports grew 0.61%.
Category-wise, cotton yarn, fabrics and made-ups declined 4.15%, carpets fell 12.05%, and jute products dropped sharply by 18.92%. However, man-made yarns and fabrics posted a marginal 1.01% growth.
For the April–January FY26 period, cumulative T&A exports stood at US$ 29.80 billion, down 0.65% from a year earlier. While textile exports contracted 2.35%, apparel exports registered a modest 1.59% growth.
On the import front, raw cotton and waste imports surged 12.33% in January and jumped 72.36% during April–January, indicating rising raw material inflows despite weak export momentum.
The data underscores continued pressure on India’s textile export performance amid shifting global demand dynamics.
