TOP STORY

The Cost of New US Tariffs Would Fall First on Migrant Workers in India

A year after the last round of US tariffs cost Indian garment workers shifts, wages and jobs, a fresh US duty has been imposed and suspended in the same order, leaving the threat in place. The textile industry's main lobby group says the sector is already under stress, with apparel exports still below last year's level and production concentrated in small firms that have little room to absorb sudden new costs.

Other Top Stories
 
CIRCULARITY / RECYCLING / SECONDS / WASTE

Lessons from Ghana, the Netherlands and Germany Will Be Tested against Indian Waste

Much of India's textile waste is too mixed or contaminated to resell, reuse or recycle. Asha Singhal, Director, Nature of Fashion at The Biomimicry Institute, explains what the fourth Nature of Fashion pilot will target, what India can take from earlier work in Ghana, the Netherlands and Germany, and why local conditions must shape the technologies tested.

 
FLASHPOINT: CLIMATE
Handmade India / Dokha Story

Traditional garments across India carry knowledge of materials, construction, climate and local identity, yet many have not been explored for contemporary markets. The Weavers' Service Centre, Chamoli, has tested one approach with Uttarakhand's Dokha, a heavy woollen winter garment. Its lighter, shorter cotton version has since passed through field training to weavers, and commercial production has begun in Khatima.

Material Innovation / Bezos Fund

Breakthrough textile materials have received $34 million in new Bezos Earth Fund grants, backing research into bacterial fibres, spider-silk-inspired biodegradable materials, coloured cotton and cotton seedbank restoration. The funding targets materials that can match rayon, silk and cotton while improving cost, performance and environmental outcomes across fashion and textile supply chains.

 
 

India Barometer: Textiles & Apparel (IIP, CPI, WPI)

IIP: Index of Industrial Production

Base 2022-23 · All India
August 2026 Quick estimate
Series Index YoY
Textiles 136.9 up 13.1%
Apparel 89.0 down 7.4%

Next: September 2026 data, due 28 Oct 2026

CPI: Consumer Price Index

Base 2024 · All India, combined
September 2026 Provisional
Series Index YoY
Clothing 110.18 up 4.25%
Footwear 106.07 up 1.78%
Household textiles 108.02 up 3.56%

Next: October 2026 data, due 12 Nov 2026

WPI: Wholesale Price Index

Base 2022-23 · All India
September 2026 Provisional
Series Index YoY
Textiles 105.2 up 13.85%
Apparel 113.1 up 3.57%
All commodities 112.5 up 11.39%

Next: October 2026 data, due 14 Nov 2026

Visit India Barometer

 
Stock Tracker: India Textiles & Fashion 386 listed companies tracked · prices as of 19 Oct 2026
Top gainers Lagnam Spintex Ltd +19.99% Shlokka Dyes Ltd +13.24% Premier Synthetics Ltd +9.9%
Top losers Sanrhea Technical Textile Ltd -14.05% Haria Apparels Ltd -9.61% Seasons Textiles Ltd -9.27%
View the Stock Tracker →
 
Trade Tracker: Global Textiles WTO figures for 2024 · every economy since 1980 · Tables A22 and A23 since 1981 Top textile exporters, 2024 1. China 42.9% 2. European Union 20.4% 3. India 5.7% Top clothing exporters, 2024 1. European Union 30.1% 2. China 30.0% 3. Bangladesh 7.0% India: No. 3 in textiles exports, No. 6 in clothing exports View the Trade Tracker →
 
 
FOCUS: COTTON

A Weather Shock to Cotton Could Push Fashion Further Towards Fossil Fibres

Fashion's sourcing data and its fibre data are moving in different directions. Companies in Textile Exchange's benchmark raised the share of five fibres sourced through standards and certification programmes to 72% in 2025, while polyester took most of the growth in fibre output in 2024. A cotton shortfall driven by El Niño would show which measure defines progress.

 
 
 
SPOTLIGHT EDITIONS: SELECT 4
 

"Quote Unquote"

Sayali Goyal
Sayali Goyal
Founder and Creative Director
Cocoa and Jasmine
There is also something valuable about the variability of natural dyes. As a textile artist, I actually find that unpredictability fascinating. The colour is affected by season, soil, water, temperature and process. You are working with a living material rather than a fixed industrial formula. So I don't think the answer is to romanticise natural dyes. I think it is to understand them more deeply.

"Quote Unquote"

Pushpa Bector
Pushpa Bector
Group Executive Director / Whole-time Director
DLF Retail / DCCDL
Over the last few years, India's retail landscape has evolved significantly. We have seen consumers become increasingly brand conscious, globally connected, and more willing to engage with premium and international brands. At the same time, the retail ecosystem itself has matured, with the emergence of world class destinations capable of delivering the scale, experience, and visibility that global brands seek for their flagship concepts.
 
 
FOCUS: LEATHER

Major Reorganisation Positions Fierecongressi as a More Competitive Force in Global Exhibition Markets

A major internal reorganisation, aligned with a growth strategy and a substantial infrastructure investment programme, has reshaped Fierecongressi's operational model. The restructuring establishes a dedicated Internationalisation Area, merges two business units into a single Fairs Business Unit, and introduces a product-oriented structure to strengthen the company's competitive position in the global exhibition and congress market.