India

Where does design fit in the textile-fashion hierarchy? The warp in crafts and livelihood, and the missing weft of innovation. Why has Indian design fallen short of its promise on the global platform? Dr Mihir Bholey, former Principal Faculty, Interdisciplinary Design Studies, Science and Liberal Arts at the National Institute of Design (NID), discusses it all and more in this freewheeling conversation.

India’s apparel industry faces rising pressure to balance scale, speed, and sustainability with a future-ready workforce. Abhishek Yugal, Managing Partner at Groyyo Consulting, emphasises rigorous workforce planning, stronger commercial literacy, and structured retention strategies. He also highlights the need for public-private collaboration in skilling, while identifying digital fluency, agility, and ESG competence as essential skills for the next decade.

India’s apparel sector faces entrenched skill gaps that limit competitiveness in global markets. The shortcomings extend from factory leadership to mid-level managers and shopfloor operators. Abhishek Yugal, Managing Partner at Groyyo Consulting, argues for a layered approach that aligns leadership vision, managerial capability, and operator agility while tailoring training models to the maturity of each production hub.

India’s cotton sector faces falling acreage and rising prices as farmers switch to more profitable crops like paddy and pulses while mills boost imports. Recent government policies, including a higher minimum support price and a postponed quality order, are changing how the industry operates. Consumption remains strong, while exports and imports reflect both domestic constraints and international market conditions, which will define the challenges of the 2025–26 season.

India has temporarily suspended its 11% cotton import duty, signalling readiness to address United States trade concerns while easing pressure on its garment sector. The exemption, effective until 30 September, is designed to stabilise cotton supplies, support exporters, and cool domestic textile costs ahead of the country’s crucial festival-driven demand season.

WWF-India and Solidaridad have entered a strategic alliance aimed at transforming India’s cotton and palm oil sectors through regenerative agriculture. The partnership focuses on building climate resilience, improving transparency, and fostering responsible sourcing. Joint activities will include pilot projects, policy advocacy, market reforms, and research to embed sustainability principles into agricultural production systems.

The India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), signed on Thursday, removes steep tariffs on Indian exports of textiles, apparel, leather and footwear. With duty-free access to 99% of Indian goods, the deal unlocks significant growth for manufacturers across sectors. Exporters expect major gains in UK market share, driven by price competitiveness and improved supply chain efficiency.

The technical textiles sector is one of the focus areas of the Indian Ministry of Textiles. A one-day conference later this week will deliberate on the future of technical textiles, focusing on market opportunities, sustainability, workforce development and chemical compliance. Rakesh Sangrai, Director - Textile Committee at main organiser PHDCCI speaks about the sector’s prospects.

India has extended the implementation timeline for its Cotton Bales Quality Control Order after facing sustained opposition from the ginning industry. The decision comes as industry bodies argued that meeting Bureau of Indian Standards requirements would necessitate substantial investments in modern equipment that many mills currently lack.

Quick commerce in India is no longer just about groceries and essentials. As consumer behaviour shifts towards instant gratification, fashion has emerged as the next big frontier for 15–45-minute delivery platforms. With high margins, event-driven urgency, and tech-savvy buyers, fashion could transform quick commerce into a sustainable and profitable model for the Indian retail industry.