Cabinet Approves Rs 5,659 Cr Cotton Productivity Mission
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Narendra Modi, has approved the Mission for Cotton Productivity with an outlay of Rs 5,659.22 crore for the period 2026–27 to 2030–31, aimed at addressing structural challenges in India’s cotton sector and strengthening its global competitiveness.
Aligned with the government’s 5F vision Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign, the mission focuses on improving productivity, fibre quality and supply chain efficiency while promoting sustainability across the cotton value chain.
A key priority under the programme is the development of high-yielding, climate-resilient and pest-resistant seed varieties. The initiative will also accelerate the adoption of advanced agronomic practices such as High-Density Planting System (HDPS), closer spacing, and integrated crop management, along with a renewed push for Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton.
On the processing side, the mission emphasises modernisation of ginning and processing infrastructure to ensure contamination-free cotton supply to the industry. This will be supported by capacity building measures and the adoption of best practices across approximately 2,000 ginning units.
Quality assurance and standardisation form another core pillar, with plans to strengthen cotton testing infrastructure through modern, accredited facilities to enable reliable quality assessment and global benchmarking.
The government will also scale up branding and traceability initiatives under Kasturi Cotton Bharat, positioning Indian cotton as a premium, sustainable and globally trusted product. Efforts will include reducing contamination levels to below 2 percent and enhancing certification mechanisms.
Farmer empowerment is a central component of the mission, with digital integration of mandis to enable transparent price discovery and improved market access. The programme is expected to benefit around 32 lakh farmers.
In line with sustainability goals, the mission promotes cotton waste recycling and circular economy practices, while also encouraging diversification into other natural fibres such as flax, ramie, sisal, milkweed, bamboo and banana to complement cotton and align with evolving global demand trends.
The initiative will be implemented jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the Ministry of Textiles, with technical support from Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and State Agricultural Universities. It will initially cover 140 districts across 14 major cotton-growing states.
The mission targets cotton production of 498 lakh bales (170 kg each) by 2030–31, with a significant increase in lint productivity from 440 kg per hectare to 755 kg per hectare.
With a strong focus on productivity, quality, traceability and sustainability, the initiative is expected to play a critical role in enhancing India’s self-reliance in cotton while supporting the broader growth of the textile and apparel industry.
