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 ($USD value exported and subsequent percentage)
Country | Percentage of Exports |
---|---|
United States | 25.37% |
Bangladesh | 7.02% |
United Arab Emirates | 6.99% |
United Kingdom | 5.39% |
China | 4.45% |
Government Entities
Government agencies actively involved in the garment/textile industry
Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Ministry of Textiles
Invest India
Worker Organizations
Trade unions, Union federations, and other worker organizations
Workers' Organizations
Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS)
Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC)
All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC)
Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS)
Centre of India Trade Unions (CITU)
All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC) – formerly UTUC (LS)
Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)
All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU)
Labour Progressive Federation (LPF)
United Trade Union Congress (UTUC)
National Front of Indian Trade Unions – Dhanbad (NFITU-DHN)
Employer/Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce
Employers and industry related associations, private sectors associations and chambers of commerce
The Textile Association (India)
The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India
Citi India
Indian Technical Textile Association
Development Agencies/ International Organizations
National and international development organizations working within the garment/textile industry
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
- International Labour Organization (ILO)
- Decent Work in Garment Supply Chains Asia (ILO)
- amfori
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
UNICEF
UNWomen
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Civil Society Organizations/ Non-governmental Organizations
Organizations working within the garment/textile industry
Oxfam International
Plan International
Sources of data provided
- Population: Population, total | Data (worldbank.org)
- GDP Per Capita: GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) | Data (worldbank.org)
- HDI: Country Insights | Human Development Reports (undp.org)
- Garment / Textile Workers: Textile Industry in India - Garment & Apparels Market in India (investindia.gov.in)
- Garment / Textile Industry Exports: Textiles and Garments | Make In India
- Garment / Textile Industry Size: Textile Industry in India - Garment & Apparels Market in India (investindia.gov.in)
- Key Garment / Textile Export Market: India Textiles and Clothing Exports by country & region 2020 | WITS Data (worldbank.org)
*Textiles and Clothing Exports in 2020
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.
Read MoreWhile 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.
Read MoreNew 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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