TOP STORY

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.

Other Top Stories
 
CIRCULARITY / RECYCLING / SECONDS / WASTE

New Waste Technologies Must Work alongside Informal Collectors Rather than Replace Them

India generates an estimated 7.8 million tonnes of textile waste a year, and much of the low-value, mixed or contaminated fraction has no commercially viable end-of-life pathway. Shruti Goel, Chief Executive Officer of Upaya Social Ventures, explains how a new accelerator run with The Biomimicry Institute will support decomposition enterprises while tying their growth to dignified, verifiable employment.

 
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 14 Oct 2026
Top gainers Gujarat Raffia Industries Ltd +20% Hindprakash Industries Ltd +20% PBM Polytex Ltd +20%
Top losers Panchatv Bharat Ltd -9.99% Rajkamal Synthetics Ltd -9.56% E-Land Apparel Ltd -5.91%
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

SWITCH-Asia Project Ends With 36 Sourcing Commitments and 50,000 Young Consumers Engaged Across India

A four-year European Union-funded project coordinated by Fairtrade International has concluded after reaching more than 9,500 cotton farmers and 700 textile manufacturers across India, with a primary focus on Tamil Nadu. The initiative delivered digital sustainability tools, capacity-building programmes, and market links between Indian suppliers and European buyers.

 
 
 
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.