The rupee fell 03 paise to open at 90.92/USD.The Indian rupee opened at 90.92 per dollar on Wednesday, down from its previous close of 90.93.READ MORE :-Rupee fell 02 paise to close at 90.95 per dollar
On Tuesday, the Indian rupee fell 02 paise to close at 90.95 per dollar, compared to its opening price of 90.93 in the morning. At close, the Sensex was down 1,068.74 points or 1.28 percent at 82,225.92, and the Nifty was down 288.35 points or 1.12 percent at 25,424.65. About 1410 shares advanced, 2644 shares declined, and 127 shares unchanged.read more :- CCI to continue government procurement of cotton till April
CCI Cotton Procurement: CCI will buy cotton till AprilNagpur: This year, due to prolonged duration of monsoon, the cotton season has been completely spoiled, which is directly impacting the MSP procurement process. In view of this, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has written a letter to Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh demanding extension of the MSP procurement deadline till April 30, 2026.The Chief Minister has informed in the letter that Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has fixed February 27 as the last date for cotton procurement for the 2025-26 season. However, this year due to delay in monsoon season till September-October, cotton harvesting started late. In many areas, cotton bolls were affected due to rain, while at some places harvesting had to be stopped due to moisture.Because of this, the regular arrival of cotton in the market has started increasing only after January. Cotton is still standing in many fields in Vidarbha, Marathwada and Khandesh, and some farmers have found time to store their stock due to delays in power supply and the ginning process.Every year, CCI continues its procurement till the end of March, but this year, the deadline has been set at February 27, making it difficult for farmers to sell in a short period of time. Although the current guaranteed price of cotton is around Rs 8,000 per quintal, the actual market price has declined by Rs 400 to Rs 500. There is a fear that if CCI stops purchasing, private traders will reduce prices even further.The Chief Minister has made it clear that CCI's continuous intervention is necessary to keep market prices stable, as small and medium farmers, especially, will be forced to sell their crops at lower prices as they need immediate cash.Meanwhile, Hinganghat Agricultural Produce Market Committee, known as the main cotton market in Vidarbha, has also taken a stand on the issue. Market Committee Chairman Sudhir Kothari and the Board of Directors have sent a letter to CCI and the government demanding extension of the cotton purchase deadline till at least March 31. He said that there is restlessness among the farmers due to the fall in the market price, whereas at present the guaranteed price is Rs 8,000.Milind Damle, head of the Traders and Technology Alliance of the Farmers Association, also demanded extension of the procurement time, saying the harvest was getting delayed due to the longer season. If the procurement is stopped early then the purpose of the MSP scheme will remain incomplete and the confidence of the farmers will be shaken. In such a situation, CCI should keep interfering in the market and the procurement time should be extended till the end of April, this is the unanimous demand of the farmers and market committees.read more :- GDP growth at 7.2% in Q3 FY26: ICRA
India's GDP growth moderated to estimated 7.2% in Q3 FY26: ICRAICRA has projected India's YoY GDP expansion to have eased to 7.2 per cent in Q3 FY26 from 8.2 per cent in Q2.The industrial sector's performance is likely to have picked up to a six-quarter high of 8.3 per cent in Q3 FY26 against 7.7 per cent in Q2.It has pegged the industrial GVA growth to have recorded a broad-based improvement to a six-quarter high of 8.3 per cent in Q3 FY26 from 7.7 per cent in Q2.Rating agency ICRA recently projected India’s year-on-year (YoY) gross domestic product (GDP) expansion to have eased to 7.2 per cent in the third quarter (Q3) of fiscal 2025-26 (FY26) from 8.2 per cent in Q2.The performance of the industrial sector is likely to have picked up to a six-quarter high of 8.3 per cent in Q3 FY26 against 7.7 per cent in Q2.ICRA has pegged the industrial gross value added (GVA) growth to have recorded a broad-based improvement to a six-quarter high of 8.3 per cent in Q3 FY26 from 7.7 per cent in Q2, supporting the overall expansion in that quarter.The quarterly financial results of Indian manufacturing companies revealed that the operating profit margin of the sector remained healthy in Q3 FY26, albeit slightly lower than Q2, given the pressure from raw materials costs and wage bill, ICRA noted.ICRA projects the manufacturing GVA to have recorded a high-single digit growth in Q3 FY26 ; it was 9.1 per cent in Q2.read more:- CCI buys cotton worth ₹12,823 crore in Telangana
CCI buys ₹12,823 crore worth cotton in Telangana Thummala Nageswara Rao noted that while there was initial opposition from farmers and ginning mills regarding the new app introduced by the Government, the roadblocks were removedThe Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has procured 16.15 lakh tonnes of cotton from 8.80 lakh farmers with an aggregate value of ₹12,823 crore in Telangana in the kharif marketing season. The State grew cotton in over 18.21 lakh hectares in 2025-26.“We are estimating that about 10 lakh tonnes of cotton is yet to be sold. We are expecting the farmers to bring it to the CCI market yards over the next few days,” Thummala Nageswara Rao, Telangana Minister for Agriculture, said.Delay in arrivalsHe attributed the late arrivals to a delay in the crop season. He said the CCI agreed to open the procurement window till February 27 to help farmers clear the remaining produce.“We had written to the Union Government, explaining to them the reason for the late arrivals and appealed to them to extend the procurement window,” he said.He noted that while there was initial opposition from farmers and ginning mills regarding the new app introduced by the Government, the roadblocks were removed. “The app facilitated smooth transactions as it got rid of the long queues and wastage of time,” he said in a statement.read more :- CCI again reduced the selling price of cotton
CCI again reduced the selling price of cotton to increase sales.Cotton Corporation of India on Monday announced another reduction in the selling price of cotton for the 2025-26 crop. CCI has cut prices by ₹700-1100 for 356 kg of candy to boost its sales. This is when government procurement of cotton at Minimum Support Price (MSP) had reached 98.9 lakh bales of 170 kg on Monday.The sale price reduction on Monday is the second such move by CCI in the last two weeks, primarily to attract buyers. Earlier, on February 10, CCI had announced a reduction in the selling price by ₹1,400-1,700 per candy. According to trade, the low response from mills and trade to CCI's previous price cut may have prompted the government company to correct its prices in a short period of time.Trade sources said that the market prices are running lower than the CCI price, due to which the interest of buyers is increasing. Although arrivals have reduced in some states like Karnataka, arrivals are still continuing in the mandi in parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Telangana.CCI's cotton procurement is still going on in states like Maharashtra and Telangana. CCI Chairman and Managing Director Lalit Kumar Gupta said that the quantity purchased at MSP in the current season has reached 98.9 lakh bales.on global signalsEarlier, Gupta had told BusinessLine that the price reduction by CCI is in line with international prices and sales will increase only after March.CCI, which started sales of the 2025-26 crop on January 19, is expected to sell around 5 lakh bales due to low response from trade and industry, which are finding cotton and imports attractive in the market.Ramanuja Das Boob, a sourcing agent in Raichur, said that since arrivals are also declining, CCI can increase its sales if they increase the delivery time from the current 30 days to 60 or 90 days and reduce the price further by ₹500 per candy.Right now, market prices are around ₹500-1,000 lower than CCI prices. He said cotton prices in Maharashtra and Gujarat are around ₹7,600-7,700.He said cotton imported especially from Brazil is at the level of ₹52,000-54,000 on port delivery, which is lower than domestic prices.CAI estimateCotton Association of India has estimated the crop size to be 317 lakh bales of 170 kg in 2025-26 and the consumption for the year is estimated to be 305 lakh bales. By the end of January, cotton consumption was estimated at 104 lakh bales.CAI has projected a year-end surplus of 122.59 lakh bales for the 2025-26 season, which is 56 per cent more than the record import of 50 lakh bales during the year. By the end of January, imports were more than 35 lakh bales and exports were more than 6 lakh bales.read more :- Special conversation with Mr. Atul Ganatra: Discussion on the current situation of cotton
An Exclusive Interview with Shree Atul Ganatra on the Current Cotton ScenarioIndian Cotton Crop and Stocks on an Upward TrendAccording to Shree Atul Ganatra, as of 21st February, around 250 lakh bales of cotton have arrived across India. However, nearly 30–40% of the crop is still held by farmers, mainly in Gujarat and Maharashtra. The total cotton production for the current season is expected to reach 315–320 lakh bales, reflecting a significant increase compared to last year.Last year’s closing stock was estimated at 60–65 lakh bales, while this year it is projected to rise sharply to nearly 100 lakh bales. This increase is primarily driven by two factors:Availability of cheaper imported cotton between October and December 2025, during which no import duty was imposed.The pricing policy of the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), which kept domestic cotton prices higher than global levels, prompting textile mills to shift towards imported cotton.CCI’s Procurement and Sales PolicyCCI continues to procure cotton under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme, resulting in higher procurement costs. However, during sales, CCI guarantees only limited quality parameters such as staple length and micronaire. In contrast, private ginners offer comprehensive quality specifications in their contracts.It is estimated that CCI may end up holding nearly 50 lakh bales of unsold stock this year. Furthermore, continued MSP procurement is likely to encourage farmers to increase cotton sowing, potentially expanding the area from 110 lakh hectares to 125 lakh hectares—an increase of 15–20%.Indian Mills and Operational ChallengesCurrently, Indian spinning mills are maintaining an average inventory of about 90 days, with several large mills having coverage until September.Labour shortages have reduced operational efficiency, with mills running at only about 85% of their capacity. Smaller mills, particularly those with less than 10,000 spindles, are increasingly shifting towards synthetic fibers. Reports suggest that nearly 300 mills have shut down in Tamil Nadu over the past two years.Global Market PressureIn the international market, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) cotton futures are trading at 63–65 cents per pound, indicating relatively lower global prices. Brazil’s record production of approximately 200 lakh bales has further exerted pressure on U.S. cotton prices.Additionally, ongoing U.S.–China trade tensions have weakened demand, as China has reduced imports of U.S. cotton. As a result, ICE prices have softened to around 64 cents per pound (approximately ₹45,000 per candy), which is significantly lower than Indian cotton prices at around ₹55,000 per candy.Challenges for Ginning FactoriesIndia has nearly 4,000 ginning factories, but CCI is operating through only about 1,000 units. This has created a major bottleneck in the system, forcing many factories to operate below capacity or shut down temporarily.Recommendations to the GovernmentTo address these challenges, Shree Ganatra has suggested the following measures:(a) Replace MSP procurement with Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) under the Bhavantar Yojana to provide direct financial support to farmers.(b) Allow CCI to procure raw cotton at MSP directly from farmers in market yards and sell it to ginners without processing.(c) Since CCI already sells cottonseed (which constitutes about 67% of kapas) immediately, it should also sell 100% of raw cotton directly to ginners instead of undertaking ginning operations.read more :- Rupee opens 05 paise down at 90.93
Rupee opens 05 paise lower at 90.93/USD Indian rupee opened lower at 90.93 per dollar on Tuesday versus previous close of 90.88.read more :- Tariff tensions: Trade team's US trip cancelled, SCOTUS eyes better deal
Tariff turbulence: Govt puts trade team's US visit on hold; SCOTUS ruling an opening to seek better deal?Amid the uncertainty triggered by the US Supreme Court order invalidating Trump's tariffs, govt has decided to reschedule the visit of the Indian team to Washington DC for finalising the legal text of the interim framework of the trade deal.Commerce department officials said the two sides were of the view that the visit by chief negotiator Darpan Jain and his team should be rescheduled until the latest developments and their implications have been evaluated.Jain was to hold three-day consultations, starting Monday, ahead of US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer's visit to India to sign the agreement. The two sides have so far agreed on the broad framework which reflects understanding but no mutually binding commitment.But the US Supreme Court ruling against reciprocal tariffs and subsequent levies by American president Donald Trump has complicated the equations.Official: US prez can use Sec 338 allowing tariffs up to 50% Change in the travel itinerary of Jain and other negotiators is significant in view of indications in certain govt quarters that the Modi administration may not be averse to exploring if the SCOTUS's ruling has created elbow room to seek better terms.After the US court's order, Malaysia and Indonesia, which had finalised agreements with the US over tariff, have emphasised that nothing has been notified. South Korea, according to NY Times, has said that judicial disapproval of Trump's tariffs has nullified its 15% reciprocal tariff deal with the US.Significantly, while reacting to SCOTUS rebuff, Trump had on Friday said that the deal with India was on. Govt officials said the legal analysis of US actions is underway along with the possible impact on trade and strategic ties.With an additional 15% tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, all countries have now been put at the same level, at least for 150 days.Yet, with the threat of further action by Trump - who is seen to have weaponised tariffs - remains and his statements so far indicate that countries will have to negotiate levies individually, while allowing greater market access for American goods.USTR Jamieson Greer has indicated that the US President can also use Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which allows for up to 50% tariffs on countries that unreasonably discriminate against US trade through tariffs, regulations or other measures.
The Indian rupee lower 12 paise to close at 90.88 per dollar on Monday, compared to its opening price of 90.76 in the morning.At close, the Sensex was up 479.95 points or 0.58 percent at 83,294.66, and the Nifty was up 141.75 points or 0.55 percent at 25,713. About 1852 shares advanced, 2274 shares declined, and 171 shares unchanged.read more :- More than 300 textile mills closed in Tamil Nadu
Over 300 textile mills shut in Tamil Nadu in last few years, says report Over 300 textile mills went out of operation in Tamil Nadu between 2021-22 and 2023-24, according to the Annual Survey of Industries. The data released by the Union Ministry of Textiles earlier this month showed that in 2021-22, Tamil Nadu had 2,773 textile mills and 2,121 of these were in operation. In 2023-24, the number went down to 2,455 with just 1,672 mills in operation. Spokesperson of a leading textile association said another 300 mills were closed in the last two years.The data shows there were 11,460 textile and apparel manufacturers in 2021-22 and 8,771 were in operation. In 2023-24, there were 11,467 textile and apparel manufacturers and just 8,503 were in operation. This included textile mills, weaving, processing, and garment making units. According to industry representatives, almost two lakh powerlooms had been scrapped in the last couple of years.A host of factors have hit the textile industry in the State, they say. Most of the textile industries are in the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) segment. Be it raw material, bank interest rates, or power cost, the MSMEs are at a disadvantage. So, a large number of small-scale textile mills have shut shop, said South India Spinning Mills Association (SISPA) secretary Jagadish Chandran.“Tamil Nadu textile industry is finding it increasingly difficult to remain cost-competitive compared with other States. For instance, the power cost for the mills in Tamil Nadu is ₹ 9.25 a unit. This is at least ₹1 more compared with competing States. Only those textile units that have invested in wind and solar energy have survived, as Tamil Nadu has the most flexible renewable energy policy. The annual increase of power cost should stop,” said the spokesperson. Textile mills lose heavily on the raw material front. Be it cotton, polyester, or viscose, the mills buy raw material from the north and incur transportation cost. The import duty on cotton and quality control orders that are now withdrawn had impacted the industry.The processing units incur high costs because of zero liquid discharge, while States such as Gujarat are permitting marine discharge of treated effluent.While the State government recently come out with an integrated textile policy, it should remove the caps for subsidies, industry representatives said.read more :- Indian textile industry worried over cheap US cotton
The textile industry of the country including Kolhapur is in crisis due to the fear of cheap American cotton coming to India after the India-US trade agreement. Kolhapur: After the new import tax structure between India and America, the textile industry in the country was likely to flourish. But in reality the picture looks different. Cotton prices in India are falling due to the possibility of large-scale import of low-cost cotton from the US after this agreement. The price of yarn has fallen and the demand for fabric has also cooled.The Indian textile industry was going to get relief from America's reduction in import duty on Indian goods from 50 percent to 18 percent. However, this equation has become problematic in some cases in the first stage. With this agreement, some agricultural products of America will be sold in the Indian market. Since cotton is allowed in it, the sensitive Indian textile industry is feeling the impact due to the fear of importing large quantities of American cotton into India.America's cotton problemThe production of BT (genetically modified) cotton in America is double, triple that of India. India imported cotton worth Rs 3,428 crore from America in 2024-25. India, once a major exporter of cotton, has now become an importer of cotton from Brazil, Australia and the United States. After the latest deal, American cotton imports are expected to be at a lower rate than Indian cotton.Losses to mills, farmersCotton prices are currently falling in the country. Analysts say the price of cotton, which was Rs 56,500 per khandi (356 kg) a fortnight ago, has fallen by Rs 1,000 to Rs 55,500 after the agreement. On the other hand, due to fall in cotton prices, farmers who had held cotton in the hope of price increase from CCI (Cotton Corporation of India) are in financial distress.read more :- CCI to buy cotton at MSP by the end of the month
CCI to continue cotton procurement at MSP till month-end.The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has decided to continue the procurement of the fibre/yarn crop till the month-end following a request made by the State government.According to Minister for Agriculture Tummala Nageswara Rao, the CCI had so far procured 16.15 lakh tonnes of cotton valued at ₹12,823 crore from over 8.8 lakh farmers. He stated on Saturday that he had written to the Union Textiles Minister, CCI and two Union Ministers from the State G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar requesting them to extend the procurement date since the fourth picking of cotton was still going on.He asked the farming community to make use of the extended deadline for cotton sale and sell their produce to CCI at the minimum support price of ₹8,110 per quintal by following the fair average quality norms. He further stated that 2.24 lakh tonnes of low-quality cotton was also purchased from farmers in the market and another 9.99 lakh tonnes of cotton stocks were still available with farmers.Though there was some opposition from the farming community and ginning mills to the ‘kapas kisan’ app introduced to register their details, the State government had addressed their concerns one by one and made them make use of the app. Booking the details of their produce (cotton) on the app was allowing the farmers to bring the stock to the procurement centre at the appointed/given time and avoid keeping their produce in queues at the procurement centres, the Minister said.A section of the farming community (cotton producers) were worried with the information in circulation that CCI was stopping procurement even before the entire crop/cotton was picked. Now that the CCI had extended the time, the farmers could sell all their produce.According to the agriculture department officials, cotton was raised in 50.7 lakh acres during 2025-26 Kharif season but only 45.32 lakh acres remained safe, as the crop in the remaining extent was damaged badly in the heavy rains and floods. The production of cotton was estimated at 28.29 lakh tonnes from 45.32 lakh acres.read more :- Maharastra :Yavatmal farmers are worried as 25% of cotton is in stock.
Maharastra : 25% cotton still unsold, Yavatmal farmers fear price crash.Yavatmal: With nearly 25% cotton stock still lying at the doorsteps of farmers and traders, concerns are mounting over a possible price crash if the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) discontinues procurement after February 27.Thousands of farmers had registered and booked slots with CCI in hopes of securing better prices than those offered in the private market. So far, CCI has procured 15,74,462.4 quintals of cotton in the district. However, a significant portion of the produce remains unsold. With only a week left before the procurement deadline, anxiety among farmers has intensified.Yavatmal has traditionally been a major cotton-producing district. This year, cotton was cultivated on nearly five lakh hectares. After suffering severe losses during the 2024-25 season, many farmers were left financially devastated, with little capital to invest in the next crop cycle. Despite this, they borrowed money at high interest rates to continue farming rather than leaving their fields fallow.In several parts of the district, yields dropped drastically. Cotton that usually reaches markets by Dussehra arrived at farmers' homes only around Diwali. As a result, many farmers were compelled to sell their produce to private traders at Rs7,200 per quintal, incurring a loss of nearly Rs800 per quintal compared to the expected rate.Recognising the losses in the private market, farmers registered for CCI procurement, where the price was fixed at Rs8,100 per quintal. However, stringent conditions and procedural hurdles reportedly forced many to sell their cotton to private traders. Several farmers who booked slots with CCI are yet to receive confirmation.With only days remaining for procurement to end, farmers fear that CCI may not be able to purchase the remaining stock in time. If procurement stops, they may once again be forced to sell at lower rates in the private market. Overall, there is apprehension that cotton prices could decline sharply if CCI withdraws from procurement.Bala Nival, a farmers' union leader, stated that unseasonal rains persisted late into the season, and cotton picking is still underway in some areas. He has urged the district's guardian minister to extend the CCI procurement deadline to prevent further financial distress for farmers.read more :- Rupee opens 22 paise higher at 90.76
Rupee opens 22 paise higher at 90.76/USD Indian rupee opened 22 paise higher at 90.76 per dollar on Monday against Friday's close of 90.98.read more :- Cotton Corporation of India (CCI)
State-wise CCI Cotton Sales Details – 2025-26 SeasonThe Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) kept its price unchanged during this week for the 2025-26 season. So far, approximately 3,93,300 cotton bales have been sold by CCI during the 2025-26 season. Sales are highly concentrated in a few major cotton-producing states, Maharashtra and Gujarat emerging as the leading contributors.read more:- 10% global tariff from February 24
| title | Created At | Action |
|---|---|---|
| The rupee fell 03 paise to open at 90.92. | 25-02-2026 09:30:13 | view |
| Rupee fell 02 paise to close at 90.95 per dollar | 24-02-2026 15:50:12 | view |
| CCI to continue government procurement of cotton till April | 24-02-2026 14:04:09 | view |
| GDP growth at 7.2% in Q3 FY26: ICRA | 24-02-2026 13:48:45 | view |
| CCI buys cotton worth ₹12,823 crore in Telangana | 24-02-2026 13:35:44 | view |
| CCI again reduced the selling price of cotton | 24-02-2026 12:38:09 | view |
| Inside India’s Cotton Crisis: A Conversation with Atul Ganatra | 24-02-2026 12:05:29 | view |
| Rupee opens 05 paise down at 90.93 | 24-02-2026 10:24:07 | view |
| Tariff tensions: Trade team's US trip cancelled, SCOTUS eyes better deal | 23-02-2026 18:30:27 | view |
| Rupee fell 12 paise to close at 90.88 per dollar | 23-02-2026 15:40:58 | view |
| More than 300 textile mills closed in Tamil Nadu | 23-02-2026 13:39:03 | view |
| Indian textile industry worried over cheap US cotton | 23-02-2026 12:52:05 | view |
| CCI to buy cotton at MSP by the end of the month | 23-02-2026 11:46:53 | view |
| Maharastra :Yavatmal farmers are worried as 25% of cotton is in stock. | 23-02-2026 11:32:39 | view |
| Rupee opens 22 paise higher at 90.76 | 23-02-2026 10:31:44 | view |
| Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) | 21-02-2026 22:23:00 | view |
