Cotton Textile India: Key Players, States, and Manufacturing Trends

When we talk about cotton textile India, the backbone of India’s traditional and modern manufacturing sector, producing over 40% of the country’s textile output and supplying global markets with yarn, fabric, and finished garments. Also known as Indian cotton manufacturing, it’s not just about handlooms—it’s a high-volume, export-driven industry powered by state policies, skilled labor, and large-scale mills. This isn’t a fading tradition. It’s a living, evolving system that feeds everything from your T-shirt to hospital linens and export orders from the U.S. and EU.

The real story behind cotton textile India starts with geography. Gujarat, the top state for textile production in India, accounts for nearly 30% of the nation’s output and hosts major mills in Surat, Ahmedabad, and Vadodara. Also known as textile hub of India, it’s where machinery meets cotton farms in a tightly woven supply chain. Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra aren’t far behind, each bringing their own strengths—Tamil Nadu with its spinning capacity, Maharashtra with its dyeing and printing clusters. But it’s Gujarat that leads in both volume and innovation, thanks to government incentives and access to ports.

And then there’s the company that defines the top tier: Arvind Ltd, India’s No. 1 textile company in 2025, with over $2 billion in annual revenue, massive export networks, and vertical integration from cotton sourcing to branded denim. Also known as Arvind Mills, it’s not just a manufacturer—it’s a benchmark for quality, sustainability, and scale in the Indian textile world. They don’t just make fabric; they control the entire process, from raw cotton to finished jeans sold in global retail chains. That’s the level of sophistication now expected in cotton textile India.

What’s driving this growth? It’s not just demand. It’s policy. The PLI scheme for textiles, state-level power subsidies, and export incentives have turned small mills into export powerhouses. Meanwhile, automation is creeping in—not to replace workers, but to boost output without sacrificing the handcrafted quality that still sets Indian textiles apart. You’ll find this mix of tradition and tech in every post below: from who’s leading exports, to which states are winning investments, to what products are actually profitable today.

What you’ll see in the posts ahead isn’t theory—it’s real data. Who’s exporting the most? Where are new mills opening? Which companies are outpacing the rest? And how does cotton textile India compete with Bangladesh and Vietnam? These aren’t abstract questions. They’re the daily realities for factories, exporters, and policymakers. The answers are here, straight from the floor of India’s textile heartland.