Textiles Ministry Holds Northern Zone Stakeholder Consultation on Budget 2026–27; Charts Roadmap for $350 Billion Industry

In a major step toward accelerating India's ambition of becoming a global textile powerhouse, the Ministry of Textiles convened a high-level Northern Zone Stakeholder Consultation on the Union Budget 2026–27, bringing together over 200 stakeholders across government, industry, academia, and grassroots artisan communities.

The consultation reflects a shift toward collaborative policy design and implementation, ensuring that flagship textile schemes are not only ambitious in scope but also grounded in field realities and execution challenges.

Building the Blueprint for a $350 Billion Textile Economy

India's textile sector—one of the country's largest employment generators and a key export driver—is projected to grow to USD 350 billion by 2030, with exports expected to expand significantly.

Against this backdrop, the consultation focused on translating Budget 2026–27 announcements into actionable, scalable, and industry-aligned programmes that can:

• Boost domestic manufacturing

• Generate large-scale employment

• Strengthen export competitiveness

• Promote sustainable and innovative production systems

Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue: From Policy to Practice

The consultation brought together a diverse ecosystem, including:

• State Government representatives

• Industry bodies and exporters

• Textile entrepreneurs and startups

• Academic institutions and research organisations

• Export Promotion Councils

• Award-winning weavers and artisans

This inclusive participation ensured that discussions captured perspectives across the entire textile value chain—from raw fibre to finished exports.

Focused Deliberations on Key Budget Schemes

The consultation was organised into thematic breakout sessions, enabling deep dives into priority schemes:

Integrated Programme for the Textile Sector

• Textile Expansion and Employment (TEEM) Scheme

• Tex-Eco Initiative (sustainability and circularity)

• Mega Textile Parks (infrastructure-led growth)

National Fibre Mission

• Strengthening raw material ecosystems

• Enhancing fibre quality and productivity

SAMARTH 2.0

• Skilling and workforce development for emerging industry needs

National Handloom & Handicraft Programme (NHHP) and MGGSI

• Revitalising traditional sectors

• Strengthening rural livelihoods and cluster development

These sessions focused on identifying implementation bottlenecks, convergence opportunities, and measurable outcomes, ensuring that schemes deliver tangible impact on the ground.

Policy Meets Ground Reality

Setting the tone, Shri Asit Gopal, Special Secretary and Financial Adviser, emphasised that continuous engagement with stakeholders is critical to designing responsive and implementable policies.

He highlighted that institutional convergence, data-driven planning, and stakeholder feedback loops will be essential to ensure timely and effective rollout of schemes.

Aligning with 'Viksit Bharat' Vision

The consultation aligns with the Prime Minister's post-Budget vision of:

• "Build More" – expanding manufacturing capacity

• "Produce More" – increasing productivity and value addition

• "Connect More" – strengthening supply chains and logistics

• "Export More" – enhancing global market presence

The textile sector, with its deep linkages to agriculture, MSMEs, and exports, is central to achieving these national objectives.

Strengthening Traditional Sectors for Global Markets

Senior officials highlighted the importance of transforming India's traditional strengths into global competitive advantages:

Dr. M. Beena, Development Commissioner (Handlooms), stressed the need to align policy design with ground-level realities, ensuring that schemes effectively address challenges faced by weavers and artisans.

Smt. Amrit Raj, Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), underscored the vision of taking "gaon to global", with a strong focus on:

• Product quality and design innovation

• Value chain integration

• Logistics and market access improvements

These interventions aim to elevate "India Handmade" as a premium global brand.

Innovation, Sustainability and Competitiveness at the Core

In her concluding address, Smt. Neelam Shami Rao, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, highlighted that the future growth of the sector will depend on:

• Innovation across value chains

• Adoption of sustainable and eco-friendly practices

• Enhanced cost competitiveness

• Stronger global branding and market positioning

She emphasised that improving quality, credibility, and sustainability standards will be key to unlocking new export markets and attracting global buyers.

Driving Employment and Inclusive Growth

The proposed schemes are expected to play a critical role in:

• Generating large-scale employment, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas

• Strengthening MSMEs and cluster-based development

• Empowering artisans, women, and traditional communities

• Expanding opportunities in the creative and cultural economy

A Collaborative Roadmap for Sector Transformation

The consultation concluded with a strong consensus on the need for coordinated action across government, industry, and communities to unlock the full potential of India's textile sector.

The Ministry assured that stakeholder inputs will be carefully integrated into final scheme designs, reinforcing a participatory, bottom-up approach to policy implementation.

Toward Global Leadership in Textiles

As global supply chains diversify and demand for sustainable, high-quality textiles rises, India is uniquely positioned to emerge as a global leader in both modern manufacturing and traditional crafts.

The Northern Zone consultation marks a crucial step in this journey—laying the groundwork for a future-ready, innovation-driven, and globally competitive textile ecosystem.