At the FICCI TAG 2025 Annual Textile Conference, Shri Sanjay Savkare, Minister of Textiles, Government of Maharashtra, released the FICCI–Wazir Advisors annual textile industry report “Catalysing Textile & Apparel Growth: Leveraging Global Opportunities.”
Mr. Savkare announced that the state is working towards establishing six Technical Textile Parks, one in each revenue division, to position Maharashtra as a hub for technical textiles. He emphasized that the government is committed to attracting domestic and foreign investments, while also supporting skilling, R&D, and infrastructure development to strengthen Maharashtra’s competitiveness in textiles and apparel. A task force has been set up to gather industry inputs on enhancing export competitiveness, and support measures will be aligned with its recommendations.
Ms. Anshu Sinha, Principal Secretary (Textiles), Government of Maharashtra, underlined the importance of collaboration among industry, academia, and government to make Maharashtra a leading textile manufacturing hub. She called for stronger partnerships in sustainability, R&D, and skilling initiatives.
Mr. Prashant Agarwal, Joint MD, Wazir Advisors, presented highlights of the report, which reviews the global and Indian textile & apparel (T&A) landscape amid geopolitical shifts, sustainability imperatives, and US tariff challenges.
Key findings include:
- Global textile & apparel trade reached ~US$ 893 billion in 2024, up 5% from the previous year, with China maintaining one-third share.
- The global apparel market stood at US$ 1.8 trillion, projected to hit US$ 2.3 trillion by 2030.
- India’s domestic T&A market is valued at US$ 184 billion, with exports at US$ 37 billion (FY25). However, new US tariffs of 50% on Indian exports put pressure on competitiveness against Bangladesh and Vietnam.
The report highlights garment-led investments as the central growth lever for India, supported by PLI, PM MITRA Parks, FDI inflows, and global alliances. Forward integration into apparel manufacturing is seen as crucial for value addition, large-scale job creation, and global positioning.
It further stresses sustainability and innovation—including smart textiles, eco-materials, digital supply chains, and green manufacturing—as key for long-term competitiveness. While India enjoys cost advantages, it must overcome weak R&D capacity and limited FTAs to maximize growth potential.
The roadmap suggests market diversification beyond the US, stable policy frameworks, infrastructure upgrades, stronger R&D, and skill-building. Combining investment-led growth with sustainability and innovation could help India emerge as a leading sourcing hub by 2030.
The conference featured three sessions post-inaugural:
- Investment in End Use Products as the Key Engine for Growth – Focus on garmenting, FTAs, technical/home textiles, automation, R&D, and infrastructure.
- Broadening the Investment Lens – Discussions on FDI, Greenfield/Brownfield expansions, strategic alliances, PM MITRA & PLI schemes.
- Global Sourcing: Driving Innovation & Sustainability – ESG regulations, certifications, traceability, and integrating sustainable manufacturing to meet global buyer expectations.