Alok Industries Signs MoU With Kasturi Cotton To Promote Indian ELS Cotton
Alok Industries has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kasturi Cotton for the procurement of 50 lakh bales during the current season. The announcement was made by Dr. Siddhartha Rajagopal, Executive Director of Cottton Textiles Export Promotion Council (Texprocil).
The MoU signing was attended by Sunil Patwari, Chairman of the Kasturi Cotton Committee and past Chairman of Texprocil, and Biji Chacko, Group Chief Operating Officer of Alok Industries.
Speaking on the occasion, Biji Chacko emphasized the importance of promoting Kasturi Cotton globally as a superior Indian Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton. “Instead of importing ELS cotton, India must focus on its own high-quality cotton. Like the government’s Make in India initiative, Texprocil, the Cotton Council, and the Ministry of Textiles are working to establish a branded Indian cotton that can compete globally. We are placing an initial order of 50,000 bales and will integrate Kasturi Cotton into our product range to promote it worldwide,” he stated.
Chacko further highlighted the ambition of positioning Kasturi Cotton alongside established global varieties like Egyptian, Pima and Australian cotton. “Currently, Indian cotton is recognized mainly for its pricing. Going forward, we want it to be known for quality. This is the beginning of a long journey towards creating a strong global brand for Indian cotton,” he added.
Sunil Patwari described the agreement as a significant step in the branding and market positioning of Indian cotton. “Texprocil, as the implementing agency, is working towards branding Indian cotton under Kasturi and encouraging its adoption across the textile value chain. The participation of major players like Alok Industries will create a strong demand cycle, benefiting farmers and ginners. The goal is to brand at least 25% of India’s cotton crop under Kasturi,” he said.
Additionally, Kasturi Cotton signed another MoU with Indo Count Industries for 5,000 bales. Dr Rajagopal mentioned that Indo Count is currently testing the waters with Kasturi Cotton before scaling up its orders.
Kasturi Cotton is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Textiles, Texprocil, the Cotton Corporation of India, trade bodies and industry stakeholders. It operates on the principle of self-regulation, ensuring branding, traceability and certification of Indian cotton to establish a premium identity in global markets.
