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India-US Trade Facilitation Portal Launched; New Opportunities AnticipatedNew Delhi: Taking a significant step toward strengthening trade relations between India and the United States, India's Foreign Secretary, Vikram Misri, virtually launched the India-US Trade Facilitation Portal. The portal aims to foster new trade opportunities, enhance the 'Ease of Doing Business,' and provide support to MSMEs and start-ups. Furthermore, this initiative is expected to contribute to achieving the bilateral trade target of $500 billion by 2030.Speaking on the occasion of the launch, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, in a video message, urged the industry sector to make the most of this initiative. He stated that industry associations, Export Promotion Councils (EPCs), and Chambers of Commerce in both India and the US should enhance mutual cooperation to transform this portal into an effective vehicle for trade expansion.Describing it as a timely and forward-looking initiative, Goyal noted that this digital platform would further bolster initiatives such as the DGFT's 'Trade Connect' portal. He added that this step underscores the depth of the India-US partnership and its increasingly dynamic nature.read more :- The rupee closed stable at 92.66. 

On Thursday, the Indian rupee closed at 92.66 against the dollar, the same level at which it had opened in the morning.At close, the Sensex was down 931.25 points or 1.20 percent at 76,631.65, and the Nifty was down 222.25 points or 0.93 percent at 23,775.10. About 2054 shares advanced, 2046 shares declined, and 126 shares unchanged.read more :- Textile Industry Suffers ₹3,000 Crore Loss Due to War

Textile Industry Hit by Losses Exceeding ₹3,000 Crore; Business Disrupted by WarKolhapur: The impact of the conflict in West Asia—which has persisted for over a month—is now clearly visible on the state's textile industry. Although the fighting has currently subsided, the industry's financial health has been severely compromised. A sharp increase of approximately 15 percent has been recorded in the prices of raw materials—particularly cotton and yarn. .SIS.Rising costs, dwindling demand, and sluggish exports have plunged the industry into a grave crisis. According to estimates by the Textile Federation, the state's textile industry has incurred losses exceeding ₹3,000 crore over the past month. To cope with the situation, several manufacturing units have scaled back production; some have shut down a shift, while others are adopting a two-day workweek..SIS.The prices of man-made fibers—which are derived from crude oil—have also witnessed an increase of approximately 15 percent. Prior to the conflict, the prices of cotton and yarn had remained stable for an extended period, thereby keeping production costs under control. However, the situation has now shifted rapidly.In the span of just one month, the price of 29mm grade cotton has surged from ₹54,000 per khandi to ₹61,000 per khandi. Concurrently, the price of a 5-kilogram bundle of yarn has risen from ₹1,260 to ₹1,415.Conversely, the prices of finished garments have seen only a marginal increase. For instance, the price of fabrics such as Poplin has gone up by a mere ₹1 per meter. The decline in demand has created an atmosphere of deep concern within the industry.Sector-wise Losses:*   Weaving: ₹1,000 crore*   Spinning Mills: ₹800 crore*   Processing: ₹400 crore*   Garments: ₹1,100 croreDue to this crisis, spinning mills are being forced to halt production for an average of 2 to 3 days. New orders have come to a near standstill, and export activity has also slowed down significantly. .SIS. Following a review by industry associations, textile entrepreneur Kiran Tarlekar has expressed apprehension that the total losses could reach ₹4,000 crore.read more :- Rupee Opens 08 Paise Lower at 92.66

Rupee Opens 08 Paise Lower at 92.66/USDThe Indian Rupee opened 08 paise lower at 92.66 against the dollar on Thursday, compared to its closing level of 92.58 on Wednesday.

The Indian rupee opened at 92.64 per US dollar on Wednesday and appreciated by 6 paise to settle at 92.58 by the close.At close, the Sensex was up 2,946.32 points or 3.95 percent at 77,562.90, and the Nifty was up 873.70 points or 3.78 percent at 23,997.35. About 3698 shares advanced, 505 shares declined, and 90 shares unchanged.read more :- Giriraj Singh: Centre to Expand Textiles PLI by ₹10,683 Crore

Centre to expand product coverage under Rs 10,683 crore textile PLI, says Giriraj SinghThe Centre is set to broaden the scope of its ₹10,683-crore Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the textile sector, Union Minister Giriraj Singh said on Tuesday.Speaking to PTI, Singh confirmed that the government will “certainly expand” the list of eligible product categories under the scheme. Currently, the PLI covers segments such as man-made fibre (MMF) apparel, fabrics, and technical textiles.The proposed expansion is expected to provide a boost to the industry by improving ease of doing business, attracting fresh investments, and accelerating overall sectoral growth. It also aligns with the government’s broader push to generate employment and strengthen India’s position in the global textile market.Singh noted that the sector has undergone a significant shift in recent years. While technical textiles previously received limited attention, the current policy framework places strong emphasis on their development, reflecting changing industry dynamics and growing global demand.read more :- Cotton Acreage and Production in India Likely to Rise Next Season: USDA

India’s Cotton Acreage and Output Likely to Rise Next Season: USDAIndia’s cotton sector is set for a rebound in the 2026–27 marketing year, with both acreage and production expected to increase, according to the USDA.The agency projects cotton acreage to rise by 3% to about 11.5 million hectares, driven by improved farmer sentiment and expectations of better returns. Production is forecast to grow by 7% to 25.2 million bales (480 lb each), supported by higher yields and a likely normal monsoon season.This recovery follows a difficult previous year marked by untimely rains. Yields are now anticipated to improve, with average productivity estimated at around 477 kg per hectare due to better crop conditions and more favourable weather.Domestic demand is also expected to strengthen, with consumption projected to reach 25.8 million bales. This growth is likely to be fueled by improved prospects for textile and apparel exports, along with anticipated trade agreements with key markets such as the European Union and the United Kingdom.On the trade side, cotton imports are forecast to decline to about 3 million bales as higher domestic production reduces reliance on overseas supply. Exports, however, are expected to fall to around 1.2 million bales, reflecting a smaller exportable surplus and a strategic shift toward exporting value-added textile products rather than raw cotton.Overall cotton supply is projected to increase to nearly 39.3 million bales, aided by higher production and strong opening stocks. Ending stocks are expected to rise to 12.3 million bales, resulting in a stock-to-use ratio of roughly 46%, indicating comfortable availability in the domestic market.Despite this positive outlook, the sector continues to face challenges such as rising input costs and increasing competition from synthetic fibres. Nevertheless, improved yields and stable weather conditions are expected to support a stronger performance for India’s cotton economy in the coming season.read more :- Yarn Remains Expensive Even After Discounts; Weavers Distressed

Despite exemptions, yarn prices remain high: WeaversTextile weavers in Surat have voiced concern over persistently high yarn prices, noting that rates have not eased despite the Centre’s decision to exempt 40 petrochemical products from customs duty.Weavers argue that yarn manufacturers quickly hike prices when input costs rise but are slow to reduce them when raw material prices fall. According to them, the sustained increase in yarn costs has significantly impacted production levels and profit margins across the weaving sector.Yarn manufacturers, however, maintain that the duty exemption alone does not dictate pricing. They attribute current price levels to multiple factors, including fluctuations in the US dollar and global geopolitical developments. Manufacturers also contend that yarn continues to be traded at prevailing market rates and that there has been no widespread resistance from buyers.The situation has begun to affect operations on the ground. Faced with rising input costs and a shortage of cooking gas for workers, several weaving units have cut back to single-shift operations or shut down for a couple of days each week. Industry representatives say some units under severe financial strain have already reduced output.Weak demand for textile products has further worsened the outlook. Industry leaders note that the combination of high input costs and sluggish demand has forced many weavers to scale back production.Weavers warn that if the current pressures on costs and labour conditions persist, overall output could decline further in the coming weeks. One weaving unit owner said yarn prices should be corrected more quickly during downturns, adding that reductions tend to lag behind falling raw material costs.In response, a yarn manufacturer said pricing adjustments are made in line with rapidly changing market dynamics. He noted that raw material prices and currency movements now fluctuate more frequently than before, leaving manufacturers operating on tighter margins as well.read more :- The rupee opened 36 paise higher at 92.64.

The rupee opened 36 paise higher at 92.64 per USD.The Indian rupee opened 36 paise higher at 92.64 per dollar on Wednesday, whereas it had closed at 93.00 on Tuesday.READ MORE :- The rupee closed 02 paisa higher against the dollar at 93.00

On Tuesday the Indian rupee opened at 93.02 against the dollar and closed 02 paisa higher at 93.00At close, the Sensex was up 509.73 points or 0.69 percent at 74,616.58, and the Nifty was up 155.40 points or 0.68 percent at 23,123.65. About 2539 shares advanced, 1514 shares declined, and 144 shares unchanged.read more :- Massive Surge in Cotton Prices at Akot APMC

Cotton took a big leap in Akot APMCAkot's Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) has seen a sharp rise in cotton prices in the last phase of this season. Cotton prices in this mandi, considered one of the major cotton markets of Vidarbha, have increased to Rs 8,995 per quintal, which is the highest level in recent times.In view of the continuously rising prices, it is now being estimated that cotton may soon cross the Rs 9,000 mark. There was uncertainty over prices at the beginning of the season, but the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) started purchasing at Minimum Support Price (MSP) which stabilized the market.After CCI stopped purchasing last month, it was feared that there could be a decline in the private market, but on the contrary, cotton is getting good prices. Increasing demand at global and domestic level is being considered as the main reason for this rise.The arrival of cotton in Akot Mandi on Saturday was satisfactory. Increased competition among traders during the auction pushed prices to record highs.According to experts, the boom phase of cotton has now started in the market. Many farmers had kept their stock in the hope of better prices, which is now slowly coming into the market. Buyers are active due to high demand for good quality cotton.Looking at the current circumstances, it is estimated that the price of cotton may reach Rs 9,500 per quintal in the coming days, due to which farmers are expected to get good profits.read more :- Relief to farmers due to improvement in cotton purchase prices in Parbhani district