India To Launch Revamped Cotton Technology Mission
The Union Textiles Ministry is gearing up to launch a revamped Cotton Technology Mission aimed at improving the quality and output of India’s cotton by adopting best practices.
“The goal is to position India as a prime destination for textile sourcing and foreign investment,” two people aware of the matter said.
“This mission is designed to reduce dependence on imports for this crucial raw material for fibre, and to increase the incomes of India’s more than six million cotton farmers,” they told Live Mint.
Scheduled to span five years from 2024, the project’s financial allocation and other policy frameworks will be finalised in the first 100 days of the new government.
India imports 500,000 bales of high-quality cotton as against the required 900,000 bales. The government has set a target to reduce these imports significantly by 2030 through this mission.
The ministry plans to conduct stakeholder consultations in the coming months and will discuss with various stakeholders and prepare a draft policy framework.
The revamped Cotton Technology Mission will be launched in cooperation with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Cotton Association of India and various ginners associations.
