Textile Business in India: Trends, Players, and Opportunities

When you think of the textile business, a major industrial sector in India that produces fabrics, garments, and technical textiles for global markets. Also known as Indian textile manufacturing, it employs over 45 million people and contributes nearly 5% to the country’s GDP. This isn’t just about cotton shirts and sarees—it’s a complex, fast-moving system driven by exports, policy, and innovation.

The textile industry India, a multi-billion-dollar sector spanning spinning, weaving, dyeing, and garment making is reshaping itself. Automation is replacing manual labor in mills, while technical textiles—used in medical, automotive, and defense applications—are growing faster than traditional fabrics. Government schemes like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) are giving manufacturers cash bonuses for boosting output and exports. And it’s working: India shipped over $40 billion in textiles last year, with the U.S., UAE, and Bangladesh as top buyers.

Who’s leading the pack? Arvind Ltd, India’s largest textile company by revenue and export volume, known for denim, performance fabrics, and vertical integration dominates the market, but dozens of mid-sized players are catching up by focusing on niche markets like organic cotton or sustainable dyes. Meanwhile, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have become the new powerhouses, thanks to better infrastructure, access to ports, and skilled labor.

What’s driving this growth? It’s not luck. It’s a mix of cheap labor, rising global demand for fast fashion, and India’s ability to scale quickly. But the real opportunity lies in moving up the value chain—making finished garments instead of just selling raw yarn, using eco-friendly processes, and building brands that compete globally. The textile business in India isn’t just surviving—it’s reinventing itself, and the players who adapt fastest are winning.

Below, you’ll find real insights from the people who know this industry inside out: what’s working in 2024, who’s pulling ahead, where the exports are going, and how polymer-based materials are quietly changing the game. No fluff. Just facts.