CITI Urges Swift Rollout Of Export Promotion Mission To Support Textile Sector
The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) has called for the immediate activation of the Export Promotion Mission announced in the Union Budget 2025-26, stressing that it would boost exporter confidence amid ongoing global trade challenges.
In the February 1 Budget speech, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the mission would involve the Ministries of Commerce, MSME and Finance to facilitate export credit, cross-border factoring, and help MSMEs navigate non-tariff barriers in overseas markets.
CITI Chairman Ashwin Chandran said setting up the mission by the end of 2025 would provide crucial support as exporters await clarity on the U.S. tariff issue and seek to leverage opportunities arising from recently signed and upcoming free trade agreements (FTAs).
“This step can help address long-standing structural challenges and strengthen India’s position in global trade, particularly in textiles and apparel,” Chandran noted.
The U.S. imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods effective August 27. India recently signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the UK and is negotiating several other FTAs, including with the European Union.
India is currently the sixth-largest exporter of textiles and apparel, holding nearly 4% of the global market, with the sector largely driven by MSMEs.
However, trade pressures persist. According to CITI, textile exports fell 10.45% and apparel exports declined 10.14% in September 2025 compared to the same month last year, resulting in a 10.34% drop in combined textile and apparel shipments.
