ATEXCON 2026: Telangana Hosts Summit Charting Future Of Global Textile Industry

Leaders from the global textile industry, policymakers and stakeholders convened in Hyderabad for ATEXCON 2026, Asia’s premier textile summit. Co-hosted by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) and the Government of Telangana, the 13th Asian Textile Conference focused on creating a resilient and future-ready global textile sector.

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy inaugurated the event, themed Reimagining the Future of Global Textiles. He declared Telangana’s ambition to become the textile capital of South Asia by leveraging its skill and will and promoting fashion made in Telangana, with a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability and green textile hubs.

Joining the Chief Minister were Telangana Textiles Minister Tummula Nageswara Rao, who underscored the state’s dedication to strengthening the textile value chain and Telangana Industries & Commerce, IT and Electronics & Communication Minister D. Sridhar Babu, who highlighted the integration of heritage with technological innovation.

Discussions at ATEXCON 2026 centered on three key pillars:

• Fibres and Fabrics: Scaling sustainable materials.
• Manufacturing and Supply Chains: Adopting advanced technologies.
• Markets and Trade: Tapping into emerging consumer markets.

A concurrent Telangana Textile Dialogue further explored policy, investment, global connectivity, heritage, innovation and skill development within the state’s textile ecosystem.

Throughout various sessions, panelists stressed the importance of technology, innovation and sustainability to adapt to the rapidly changing global environment. CITI Chairman Ashwin Chandran emphasized the need for a new “playbook” to navigate the industry’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous landscape. Dr. M Beena, Development Commissioner (Handlooms) for the Union Textiles Ministry, noted the significant focus on the sector in the latest Union Budget.

The conference, which also saw the release of a CITI White Paper, concluded with a collective commitment to foster innovation-led growth, boost competitiveness and solidify Asia’s position in the global textile value chain. India aims to more than double its textile and apparel exports to US$ 100 billion by 2030.