Apparel Exports Drag India’s Textile Shipments Lower In April
India’s textile and apparel exports declined in April 2026 as a sharp fall in apparel shipments offset moderate growth in textile exports, reflecting continued pressure from weak global demand and geopolitical uncertainties.
According to trade data analysed by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry, overall textile and apparel exports fell to US$ 2.881 billion in April 2026 from US$ 2.983 billion in the corresponding month last year.
Apparel exports recorded a steep decline of 11.66% year-on-year to US$ 1.211 billion during the month. In contrast, textile exports registered a growth of 3.59%, reaching US$ 1.670 billion.
Among major categories, exports of cotton yarn, fabrics, made-ups and handloom products rose marginally by 0.57% to US$ 968.38 million, while man-made fibre-based product exports increased 2.34% to US$ 392.77 million.
Carpet exports posted strong growth of 9.93%, while handicraft exports excluding carpets surged 26.22%, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
On the import side, raw cotton and cotton waste imports declined 6.10% year-on-year to US$ 81.58 million in April. Imports of textile yarn, fabrics and made-ups also fell 7.17% to US$ 179.27 million.
For the full fiscal year 2025-26, India’s textile and apparel exports declined 2.21% to US$ 35.799 billion compared with the previous year.
Textile exports during FY26 fell 2.86% to US$ 20.027 billion, while apparel exports declined 1.36% to US$ 15.772 billion. The sector’s contribution to India’s total merchandise exports also slipped to 8.10% from 8.36% a year earlier.
Meanwhile, imports showed a mixed trend during the fiscal year. Raw cotton and cotton waste imports surged 54.91% to US$ 1.889 billion, while imports of textile yarn, fabrics and made-ups increased 5.12% to US$ 2.602 billion during April 2025 to March 2026.
