India

Republic of India │भारत गणराज्य

Garment and textiles production is one of the oldest industries in India, dating back several centuries.  While the industry today remains a mainstay of the national economy, its international presence is also notable, as India has become the 6th largest exporter of garments and textiles in the world. 

India has a large raw material base and manufacturing strength across the value chain, incorporating both the hand-woven sector as well as the capital-intensive mill sector (the second largest in the world). Garment and textiles manufacturing accounts for 7% of India's total industrial output (by value), 2% of its GDP, and 12% of the country’s export earnings.

The sector provides direct employment for over 45 million1 people in India, whilst supporting over a hundred million more via indirect means, including many women and the rural population. The Government’s central focus in recent years has been on increasing textile production by building best-in-class manufacturing infrastructure, upgrading technology, fostering innovation, and enhancing labour skills. The Indian garment and textiles market, currently valued at US$35 billion is expected to see further significant growth in the coming decade.

1Figures differ by source. According to the ILO (ILOSTAT), a total of 14,624,000 people are employed in the textile and clothing industry in India. 
ILOSTAT employment figures are computations of data taken from India’s national Labour Force Survey. LFS employment data is mostly based on two measures: usual status (i.e., whether people were mostly at work during the last 365 days) and the current weekly status (i.e., whether they were working or not in each week).  LFS data -as computed/reported by ILOSTAT- may report lower values for employment and unemployment than other national data sources (with broader statistical definitions of employment and unemployment). 

Population

Total

1,417,173,173 (2022)

Gross Domestic Product

GDP per Capita (constant USD, thousand)

2,388.6 (2022)

Human Development Index Ranking

HDI Rank (out of 191 countries)

132 (2021)

Garment/Textile Workers

Number of workers in the garment/textile sector

45,000,000 (2022)

Women Workers in the Garment/Textile Industry

Percentage of women workers employed in the garment/textile industry

N/A

Number of Garment/Textile Factories

Number of factories in the garment/textile industry

N/A

Garment/Textile Industry Exports

(USD$ billion)

USD 44.44 billion (2022)

Garment/Textile Industry Size

Percentage of total exports

11.4% (2021)

Key Garment/Textile Export Markets

Top five countries ($USD value exported and subsequent percentage)

Country Percentage of Exports
United States 25.37%
Bangladesh 7.02%
United Arab Emirates 6.99%
United Kingdom 5.39%
China 4.45%

Government Entities

Government agencies actively involved in the garment/textile industry

Ministry of Commerce and Industry 
Ministry of Textiles 
Invest India 

Worker Organizations

Trade unions, Union federations, and other worker organizations

Workers' Organizations   
Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS)   
Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC)  
All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC)  
Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS)  
Centre of India Trade Unions (CITU)  
All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC) – formerly UTUC (LS) 
Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)  
All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) 
Labour Progressive Federation (LPF)  
United Trade Union Congress (UTUC) 
National Front of Indian Trade Unions – Dhanbad (NFITU-DHN) 

Employer/Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce

Employers and industry related associations, private sectors associations and chambers of commerce

The Textile Association (India) 
The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India 
Citi India 
Indian Technical Textile Association 

Development Agencies/ International Organizations

National and international development organizations working within the garment/textile industry

International Finance Corporation (IFC) 
UNICEF 
UNWomen 
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 

Civil Society Organizations/ Non-governmental Organizations

Organizations working within the garment/textile industry

Oxfam International 
Plan International 

News on India


'Withdraw new labour codes': Unions observe workers' resistance day across India

The Mazdoor Adhikar Sangharsh Abhiyan (MASA), a coordination platform of 17 workers organisations/ unions, staged Workers’ Resistance Day on 8th February, 2024, engulfing the entire country against the allegedly anti-worker policies and to press for the just demands of the working masses in the country.

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NIT-Warangal faculty members develop innovative wastewater treatment system for textile industry effluents

While the textile industry helps many across the state earn their livelihoods, the chemical effluents from the units affect the lives of people living in the vicinity. To address this, a team of faculty members at the National Institute of Technology, Warangal (NIT-W), has developed an environment-friendly hybrid wastewater treatment system for textile industry effluents.

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New partnership to scale up India's textile recycling

Textile waste management specialist Reverse Resources (RR) and the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) have launched a programme to scale up textile-to-textile recycling in India. Established primarily to address the issue of a poorly performing waste-handling sector in the country, the partnership also aims to improve the quality and commercial viability of textile-to-textile recycled products.

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