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India Once Dominated the Textile Trade; Now Faces the Challenge of Re-establishing Global RecognitionNew Delhi: India was once among the world's leading textile trading hubs. Today, the country possesses the entire textile value chain—spanning from cotton production to spinning, weaving, processing, garment manufacturing, and exports. The sector's greatest strength lies in its capacity to generate employment. However, to strengthen its position amidst global competition, India requires robust institutions, modern technology, and a long-term strategy.Few industries have left as profound an impact on India’s civilization, culture, and economy as the textile industry. Long before the modern concept of global value chains emerged, textile manufacturing had already become an integral part of India's economic, cultural, and commercial fabric.Excavations at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro have yielded evidence of spindles, needles, and artifacts related to textile production and dyeing. These represent some of the earliest traces of textile-related activities in India. The tradition that flourished during the Indus Valley Civilization continued to evolve over subsequent centuries through trade, innovation, and exquisite craftsmanship.For nearly two thousand years, Indian textiles enjoyed strong demand in markets across Asia and Europe. During the Mughal era, Bengal emerged as a vital hub for cotton textile production. The fine muslin of Dhaka was renowned for its superior quality and was highly sought after in international markets. Meanwhile, Murshidabad rose as a key center for the trade of silk and other high-quality fabrics.According to estimates by economist Angus Maddison, India accounted for approximately one-quarter of global economic output in the year 1700. Subsequently, the Industrial Revolution transformed the landscape of global competition. Innovations such as James Hargreaves' Spinning Jenny and other weaving machinery fueled mass production. Competitive advantage was no longer solely dependent on the skills of artisans but came to rely on technology, productivity, and economies of scale. Following this shift, India gradually became a major supplier of raw cotton to the mills of Britain's Lancashire region and a vast market for finished garments.Today, the challenge before India is not merely to replicate its glorious textile past but to forge a new identity as a modern global textile powerhouse. This will require robust institutions, modern technology, innovation, a skilled workforce, and better coordination across the entire value chain.READ MORE :- India-UK Trade Pact May Nearly Double Exports by FY31

India-UK Trade Pact May Nearly Double Exports By FY31; Textiles, Leather Among Biggest BeneficiariesIndia's exports to the UK are projected to rise to $24.2 billion by FY31 from $13.5 billion in FY26, following the implementation of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), according to a Bank of Baroda Research report.The trade pact, which came into force on July 15, is expected to significantly boost Indian exports by eliminating tariffs on nearly all goods shipped to the UK. The report estimates bilateral trade between the two countries could increase to $41 billion by FY31, up from $25.1 billion in FY26, with India's exports expected to outpace imports, further widening its trade surplus.Textiles & Apparel To GainThe agreement removes the around 12% tariff previously levied on Indian textile and apparel exports, placing Indian manufacturers on a level playing field with competitors such as Bangladesh and Pakistan.Bank of Baroda Research estimates exports from the sector could increase to $3.1 billion by FY31 from $2.1 billion over the next five years. Listed companies with notable UK exposure include Gokaldas Exports, KPR Mill and Welspun Living, according to company disclosures.Leather, Manufacturing Sectors Also Stand To BenefitThe report noted that around 99% of India's exports by value will now enjoy tariff-free access to the UK. This is expected to improve the competitiveness of labour-intensive sectors such as textiles and leather, as well as manufacturing industries including electronics, pharmaceuticals and engineering goods.On the import side, India has adopted a phased approach to tariff reductions while continuing to protect sensitive sectors such as dairy, agriculture, smartphones and electric vehicles.According to Bank of Baroda Research, the agreement is expected to strengthen India's export competitiveness, particularly for MSMEs and labour-intensive industries, while supporting a larger trade surplus with the UK over the next five years.READ MORE :- Kharif Crop Crisis Deepens as Monsoon Weakens, Sowing Falls in Maharashtra

Kharif crop crisis in many states due to lack of rain, sowing reduced in Maharashtra, farmers of Gujarat-Telangana worriedSlow pace of monsoon and long dry spells in many states of the country have created a crisis for Kharif crops. Farmers in Telangana, Maharashtra and Gujarat are worried about loss of cotton, soybean, groundnut and other kharif crops. Due to lack of continuous rains, the moisture in the fields is decreasing rapidly, which is affecting the growth of crops and also increasing the risk of cost increase for the farmers.Farmers in Telangana's Adilabad district say late arrival of monsoon and prolonged absence of rains in July have stunted the growth of cotton, soybean and red gram crops. Inspite of light rain, the fields have not been sufficiently moistened. Mora Kishtu, a farmer of Ada village in Zainad mandal, said that he had sown cotton in 20 acres after initial rains in late June, but now timely rains are very important for good yield. Around 4.25 lakh acres of cotton has been cultivated in the district this Kharif season, but drought-like conditions have increased farmers' worries.In Maharashtra too, the pace of kharif sowing has slowed down due to the effects of El Nino and weak monsoon. According to the Agriculture Department, only 86.92 lakh hectares or 60 percent of the state's 144.36 lakh hectare agricultural area has been sown till July 15, 2026, while this figure was 84 percent during the same period last year. Due to the lack of rain in many areas, farmers have to re-sow, which increases the cost of production. Soybean and cotton are the most sown in the state, while Marathwada, Vidarbha and Konkan are among the worst affected regions.Jessar and nearby villages of Bhavnagar district of Gujarat have also not received enough rain for the last 15 to 20 days. Farmers had completed sowing of cotton and groundnut after initial good rains, but now the plants have started drying up due to lack of moisture in the fields. Farmers who do not have irrigation facilities are the most affected. Farmers say that if there is no good rain in the next four-five days, the cotton and groundnut crops may suffer heavy losses. Farmers of all the three states are now waiting for good rains on time, as the rains in the coming days will decide the status of Kharif crops.READ MORE :- El Nino Impact: Karimnagar Farmers Advised to Choose Low-Water Crops

El Nino effect: Advice to farmers in Karimnagar to adopt low water crops except paddyKARIMNAGAR: Due to weak monsoon and El Nino impact in Telangana's Karimnagar district, the agriculture department has advised farmers to switch to low water intensive crops like paddy in Kharif season. In view of the shortage of water for irrigation, the district administration has implemented a contingency plan, so that the loss of the farmers can be reduced.District Agriculture Officer J. Bhagyalakshmi said that a serious shortage of irrigation has been revealed in the departmental survey. Farmers have been appealed to sow low water ready crops like groundnut, moong, cowpea and sunflower. According to the Irrigation Department, Lower Manair Dam currently has 5.568 tmcft of water available, while its total capacity is 24.034 tmcft. This water reservoir will be reserved for the next 90 days mainly for drinking water needs.Despite having around 1.57 lakh acres of agricultural land in Karimnagar, sowing was affected in a large area till July 15 due to shortage of water. District Collector Chitra Mishra has directed officials of the Agriculture and Irrigation Department to promote alternative crops and implement an emergency action plan.At the same time, the effect of El Nino is clearly visible in Rajanna-Sirsila district. As against the usual 2.45 lakh acres, only 93 thousand acres have been sown so far, affecting about 40 percent of the district's agricultural activities.READ MORE :- Kharif Crops in Pachod-Paithan at Risk Due to Rainfall Deficit

Kharif Crops in Pachod-Paithan at Risk Due to Lack of RainPachod (Maharashtra): Kharif crops in the Pachod and Paithan *talukas* are facing a severe crisis due to the absence of rainfall over the past three weeks. Crops are on the verge of withering due to the lack of adequate rain. Young plants are scorching under the intense heat and sunlight, creating a situation where farmers may be forced to undertake re-sowing.After a long gap of nearly ten years, the monsoon arrived with a delay of about a month this year, resulting in Kharif sowing being completed on only half of the cultivable land. Farmers arranged for seeds by borrowing money or using their limited savings and completed sowing across approximately 63,000 hectares in the ten revenue circles of Paithan *taluka*. Initially, seed germination was good, and crop growth was satisfactory following the early rains. However, just as farmers finished agricultural tasks like weeding and hoeing, the rainfall suddenly ceased.Soil moisture is depleting rapidly due to the lack of continuous rain. The impact is clearly visible on Kharif crops such as cotton, pearl millet (*bajra*), and green gram (*moong*). The lack of moisture has also led to increased pest infestations, and plants in the fields have started to wilt.Farmers are making every possible effort to save their crops. Some are manually watering plants using small vessels, while others are utilizing the limited water remaining in their wells through drip irrigation systems. If good rainfall does not occur soon, farmers may face the prospect of re-sowing, which threatens to impose an additional financial burden on them.READ MORE :- CCI Cotton Sales Reach 85.04 Lakh Bales in 2025-26 Season

State-wise CCI Cotton Sales Details – 2025-26 SeasonThe Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) Increased its cotton candy prices by upto ₹800 per candy during this week . CCI has sold approximately 85,04,800 cotton bales for the 2025-26 season. Sales are highly concentrated in a few major cotton-producing states, Maharashtra, Telangana and Gujarat emerging as the leading contributors.📞 For more information, call us at: 9111677775READ MORE :- Rupee Opens 3 Paise Higher at 96.41 Against Dollar.

The rupee opened higher at 96.41/$.The Sensex was up 2.82 points or 0.00 percent at 77,711.34, and the Nifty was up 3.65 points or 0.02 percent at 24,242.15.On Tuesday, the Indian rupee opened 3 paise higher against the dollar at 96.41, whereas it had closed at 96.44 on Monday.READ MORE :- Rupee Falls 3 Paise to Close at 96.44 Against US Dollar

The rupee fell by 3 paise to close at 96.44 against the US dollar.On Monday, the Indian rupee opened at 96.41 against the US dollar and closed at 96.44, recording a decline of 3 paise during the trading session.At the close, the Sensex fell by 442.93 points (0.57%) to 77,708.52, and the Nifty dropped by 95.80 points (0.39%) to 24,238.50.READ MORE :- Rupee Opens 13 Paise Lower at 96.41 Against US Dollar

Rupee Opens 13 Paise lower at 96.41On Monday, the Indian rupee opened 13 paise lower against the dollar at 96.41, whereas it had closed at 96.28 on Friday.The BSE Sensex, which closed at 78,151.45 on Friday, opened flat at 78,151.45 and was trading at 77,694.13, down by 457.32 points or 0.59 percent. The NSE Nifty50, which closed at 24,334.30 in the previous session, opened at 24,190.05 and was trading at 24,227.90, down by 106.40 points or 0.44 percent.READ MORE :- Karnataka Monsoon Deficit Threatens Kharif Crops, Food Security

The Challenge of Shielding Karnataka's Agriculture from Monsoon UncertaintyA severe monsoon deficit has created a crisis for farmers in Karnataka, the impact of which could be felt at the national level. By the first week of July, the sowing of Kharif crops had reached only one third of the targeted area. During this agricultural season spanning June to October farmers typically cultivate cereals like paddy, maize, ragi, jowar, and bajra; pulses such as tur (pigeon pea); oilseeds like groundnut, sunflower, soybean, and niger seed; and cash crops such as cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, and red chili.Production of these crops relies heavily on the monsoon. After Rajasthan, Karnataka has the country's largest dryland farming area, with approximately 8.479 million hectares of agricultural land dependent on rainfall. Consequently, any shortfall in rain directly impacts agricultural output. This year, a significant rainfall deficit has been recorded due to the El Niño effect. Rainfall deficits of 34 percent, 30 percent, 24 percent, and 18 percent have been recorded in the Malnad region, coastal Karnataka, North Interior Karnataka, and South Interior Karnataka, respectively.The impact of this crisis will not be limited to Karnataka alone. The state is a major producer of coarse cereals and accounts for the largest area under tur pulse cultivation in the country. Therefore, a sharp decline in Karnataka's agricultural output could affect food grain supplies and prices nationwide.Alongside this natural crisis, a humanitarian challenge is also mounting. The livelihoods of approximately 13.7 million people in Karnataka roughly one in every five residents depend on agriculture. Amidst these circumstances, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to assess the situation and dispatch a central team to facilitate relief measures.While assistance from the central government is essential, Karnataka must also draw a long term lesson from this crisis. The state's agriculture has long remained vulnerable to the vagaries of the monsoon. It is now imperative for the government to prioritize water security in the agricultural sector rather than focusing solely on urban development projects, particularly those in major cities.This requires expanding irrigation facilities, strengthening water conservation measures, promoting drought resistant crops, extending canal networks, improving groundwater recharge, and making widespread use of modern micro irrigation techniques. The goal should not merely be to address the current crisis but to establish an agricultural system that offers farmers long term protection against the uncertainties of the monsoon.Shielding agriculture from the vagaries of nature is not just a necessity for Karnataka; it is essential for the food security and rural economy of the entire nation. READ MORE :- India's Cotton Acreage Falls Nearly 15% as Sowing Slows in Gujarat, Maharashtra

India's cotton acreage drops by nearly 15% due to slow sowing in Gujarat and MaharashtraCotton sowing in India during the initial phase of the 2026 Kharif season is lagging significantly behind last year's figures. The pace of sowing in major cotton-producing states has been affected by a delayed monsoon and regional weather conditions. As of July 10, 2026, cotton sowing was recorded across 79.55 lakh hectares nationwide, compared to 93.95 lakh hectares during the same period last year. Consequently, the cotton acreage has declined by 14.41 lakh hectares, or approximately 15.3%.The sharpest declines in sowing have been observed in key cotton-producing states like Gujarat and Maharashtra. In Maharashtra, cotton has been sown across 30.07 lakh hectares so far this season, a decrease of 5.39 lakh hectares from the previous year's 35.46 lakh hectares. Sowing activities by farmers in major cotton-growing regions such as Vidarbha and Marathwada have been hampered by delayed rainfall.The decline was even more pronounced in Gujarat. The state's cotton acreage fell from 17.11 lakh hectares last year to 9.32 lakh hectares, marking a reduction of 7.79 lakh hectares. Together, Gujarat and Maharashtra account for a reduction of approximately 13.2 lakh hectares in the country's total cotton acreage.In contrast, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have witnessed an improvement in cotton sowing. Telangana's cotton acreage has risen by 1.96 lakh hectares to reach 15.96 lakh hectares compared to last year. Good rainfall and the timely commencement of agricultural operations have accelerated sowing in the state. Andhra Pradesh has also seen its cotton acreage increase by 0.78 lakh hectares, reaching 2.40 lakh hectares.Sowing in other major cotton-producing states remains below last year's levels. A decline in acreage has been recorded: 1.28 lakh hectares in Rajasthan, 0.90 lakh hectares in Haryana, 0.66 lakh hectares in Odisha, 0.59 lakh hectares in Karnataka, and 0.43 lakh hectares in Punjab. Cotton acreage remained largely stable in Madhya Pradesh, while Tamil Nadu also saw no significant change compared to the previous year.The national target for cotton acreage for the 2026 Kharif season has been set at 116.12 lakh hectares; however, sowing had covered only 79.55 lakh hectares by July 10. Since cotton sowing continues through July and into early August, there remains a possibility of an increase in acreage in the coming weeks, aided by a favorable monsoon.If the shortfall in sowing persists, the availability of raw cotton in the upcoming marketing season could be affected. This could impact the domestic textile industry, cotton exports, and fiber prices. As global cotton markets remain sensitive to weather-related supply risks, the market will closely monitor India's production situation.READ MORE :- Gujarat–Maharashtra Farmers Fear Cotton Crop Damage Amid Delayed Rain