India’s Textile & Apparel Exports Down 3.75% In January 2026
India’s textile and apparel exports declined year on year in January 2026, reflecting weaker shipment volumes amid elevated tariffs in the United States that affected export competitiveness during most of the month.
According to data released by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), textile exports fell 3.68% to US$ 1730.65 million in January 2026, compared with US$ 1796.78 million in January 2025. Apparel exports also registered a decline of 3.84%, dropping to US$ 1544.79 million from US$ 1606.41 million a year earlier.
Combined textile and apparel exports stood at US$ 3275.44 million in January 2026, down 3.75% from US$ 3403.19 million in the corresponding month last year.
The decline was most visible in cotton-based segments. Exports of cotton yarn, fabrics, made-ups and handloom products fell 4.15% to US$ 995.58 million, compared with US$ 1038.69 million in January 2025. In contrast, exports of man-made yarn, fabrics and made-ups showed modest growth of 1.01%, reaching US$ 430.29 million, indicating relatively stable demand for synthetic products.
For the April 2025–January 2026 period, textile exports decreased 2.35% to US$ 16677.99 million from US$ 17079.24 million in the same period of the previous financial year. Apparel exports, however, rose 1.59% to US$ 13128.71 million, compared with US$ 12923.11 million a year earlier.
Overall, cumulative textile and apparel exports during April–January edged down 0.65% to US$ 29806.70 million, against US$ 30002.35 million in the corresponding period of the previous year.
The sector’s share in India’s total exports also moderated. Textile and apparel exports accounted for 8.96% of total exports in January 2026, compared with 9.37% in January 2025, while the share for the April–January period stood at 8.13%, down from 8.36% a year earlier.
