Recent News

On thursday, the Indian rupee closed at 89.96 against the dollar, compared to its opening rate of 89.93.At close, the Sensex was down 32 points or 0.04 percent at 85,188.60, and the Nifty was up 16.95 points or 0.06 percent at 26,146.55. About 2113 shares advanced, 1872 shares declined, and 159 shares unchanged.

Maharastra : Duty-free cotton import ends, 1 1% taxes payable from today*Nagpur* : The window for duty-free cotton imports expired on Wednesday, with no govt notification regarding an extension. As a result, an 11% duty will apply to cotton imports from January 1, unless a fresh order is issued.While textile players reported rising prices for processed cotton (lint), farmers in Vidarbha continued to sell raw cotton below the minimum support price (MSP). Market rates ranged from 7,500 to 7,700 per quintal, compared with the MSP of 8,110, say market sources.Sources added that while trade and industry lobbied to maintain the duty exemption for at least a quarter, farmers' associations submitted representations supporting the duty. While exemption allowed cheaper imports for textile companies, it pushed down raw cotton prices for farmers.In August, following tariff tensions with the US, India removed 11% import duty on cotton. According to US-based International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), India imported 36 lakh bales of cotton until mid-September. Brazil accounted for largest share at 23%, followed by US at 20% and Australia at 19%.Absence of further duty-free orders has left the textile industry concerned. Reimposing duty has reduced raw cotton prices for farmers to as low as 6,700 per quintal. This season, farmers relied on MSP procurement by Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), which purchased 61.5 lakh bales by December 30. Registration deadline for farmers to sell at MSP was extended to January 16 from original date of Dec 31."Domestic cotton rates reached 58,500 per bale, and imports have become costlier by 4,000 due to tariff war, affecting global competitiveness," said Prashant Mohta, MD of Gima Tex Industries, a textile unit in Vidarbha.READ MORE :- The Organic Cotton Imperative: Traceability & Trust

Organic Cotton: Traceability & TrustThe global organic cotton market is expanding rapidly. Valued at $1.1 billion in 2023, it is projected to reach $25 billion by 2032 (Fortune Business Insights).1 As demand for transparency accelerates and more farmers shift to organic practices, one thing is clear: credible, traceable evidence is now essential for success in the modern textile supply chain.Ensuring Organic IntegrityOrganic cotton delivers major environmental benefits—reduced water and energy use, and minimal toxic chemicals. But the transition is demanding and requires new skills, resources, and long-term brand support. CottonConnect helps in this shift, safeguarding integrity from seed to shelf through:Farmer Empowerment: Training in organic farm management, soil fertility, and natural pest control.Robust Assurance: A verification framework that strives to uphold the highest organic standards. In 2023–24, our programmes achieved 99% organic cotton integrity (Impact Report 2024).2Digital Traceability with TraceBaleOnce farm-level integrity is assured, traceability becomes crucial to maintain it and provides support in substantiating brand claims. TraceBale, our digital tool, creates resilient supply chains with verifiable, bottom-up sourcing data through: Unique farmer QR codesMEL App capturing farm-level production dataGIS farm mapping for precise location trackingTraceBale delivers visibility from farm group to finished product, giving brands reliable, actionable insights to support sustainability claims.The DNA Marker AdvantageTo strengthen assurance further, we partner with Haelixa to integrate physical DNA markers into fiber, providing scientific evidence of origin.By integrating digital traceability, physical markers, and transparent data management, CottonConnect connects farmers with global brands—helping make organic cotton a viable, profitable business model, not just an environmental commitment.“Traceability is important to achieving regulatory compliance, but it also forms the bedrock of responsible business. It helps ensure every stage of the supply chain is understood, allowing issues to be addressed head-on.”READ MORE :-  The rupee opened 6 paise lower against the dollar at 89.93.

The rupee opened 6 paise lower at 89.93/USD.The Sensex was up 186.17 points or 0.22 percent at 85,406.77 and the Nifty was up 64.95 points or 0.25 percent at 26,194.55. Approximately 1284 shares advanced, 728 declined, and 151 remained unchanged.READ MORE :- The rupee opened 9 paise higher at 89.87/USD.

On Wednesday, the Indian rupee closed at 89.87 against the dollar, the same level at which it had opened in the morning.Finally, the Sensex was up 545.52 points or 0.64 percent at 85,220.60, and the Nifty was up 190.75 points or 0.74 percent at 26,129.60. Approximately 2555 shares advanced, 1330 declined, and 123 remained unchanged.Read More :- The rupee opened 9 paise higher at 89.87/USD.

The rupee opened 9 paise higher against the dollar at 89.87.The Indian rupee opened at 89.87 against the dollar on Wednesday, compared to its closing rate of 89.78 on Tuesday.READ MORE :- The rupee closed 15 paise higher at 89.78 against the dollar.

On Wednesday, the Indian rupee closed 15 paise higher at 89.78 against the dollar, after opening at 89.93.At close, the Sensex was down 20.46 points or 0.02 percent at 84,675.08, and the Nifty was down 3.25 points or 0.01 percent at 25,938.85. About 1718 shares advanced, 2113 shares declined, and 137 shares unchanged.read more :- Cotton supply tightens as Indian govt procures 38 lakh bales at MSP

Cotton Supply Tightens as India Buys 38 Lakh Bales at MSPThe Cotton Corporation of India's MSP-led procurement has absorbed 38.7 lakh cotton bales, tightening open-market supply despite weak yarn, fabric and garment demand.With stocks locked in warehouses, cotton prices remain elevated, squeezing spinning margins.Industry is seeking phased CCI stock releases aligned with demand to rebalance the value chain, especially in key producing states.The Indian government has procured 230.23 lakh quintals of seed cotton (kapas) until December 19, according to procurement figures released by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI). This translates into 38.70 lakh bales of 170 kg cotton procured over the first 80 days of the 2025–26 marketing season, which began on October 1. CCI has been purchasing cotton at the minimum support price (MSP), which is currently higher than prevailing market prices. As a result, the domestic market is facing elevated cotton prices amid CCI’s procurement and subdued demand from downstream industries.CCI’s aggressive procurement in the ongoing 2025–26 season is creating a paradox for the downstream textile industry. While MSP-backed buying has supported farm-gate prices, the large volume of cotton moving into CCI warehouses has reduced free-market availability, even as demand for cotton yarn, fabrics and garments remains weak.According to CCI procurement figures received by the domestic industry, the corporation had procured 230.23 lakh quintals of kapas as of December 19, 2025. At an average lint recovery of 35 per cent, this translates into roughly 38.70 lakh bales. This quantity has effectively been withdrawn from open circulation, tightening near-term availability for spinners and ginners.Industry sources point out that the timing of this withdrawal of cotton from the open market is critical. Yarn offtake remains sluggish, fabric inventories are comfortable, and garment demand (both domestic and export-led) continues to be cautious. In such a demand environment, higher cotton prices driven by restricted availability are exerting pressure on spinning margins rather than supporting value-chain recovery.The impact is most visible in central and southern India, where procurement has been concentrated. Telangana and Maharashtra together account for more than 60 per cent of total CCI purchases so far, leaving mills in these regions increasingly dependent on warehouse-linked cotton rather than spot-market supplies.Spinners maintain that while MSP procurement is necessary in distress years, large front-loaded buying without a clearly defined liquidation roadmap risks creating artificial tightness. With cotton locked in warehouses, prices fail to reflect downstream demand realities, widening the gap between raw material costs and finished goods realisations.Industry stakeholders are therefore urging a phased and transparent release of CCI stocks, aligned with yarn and fabric demand cycles, to restore balance across the value chain and prevent prolonged stress on mill economics.Read more :- Tamil Nadu : Yarn price rises after open-end mills stopped production.

Yarn Rates Rise in Tamil Nadu After Open-End Mills Shut DownCOIMBATORE: The price of yarn supplied by open-end (OE) mills to powerlooms has risen by Rs 5 per kilogram due to their halt in production for the last week, resulting in continuous demand.The yarn price has increased to Rs 142 from Rs 137 per kg in the last week. However, OE mills have stopped procuring waste cotton from the spinning mills as its price remains unchanged.Operators of the OE mills said they have resumed the production with waste cotton in hand and without going for new purchase from the spinning mills.The OE mills cut production by 50% and some had ceased production fully, claiming they could not operate the mills due to increase in the price of waste cotton procured from the spinning mills by Rs 13 per kg in the last three months.About 600 OE mills in Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Karur, Madurai and Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu announced production halt on December 21.M Jayabal, the president of the Recycle Textile Federation said, "While the spinning mills are escalating the price for the waste cotton irrationally, OE yarn price  for the 20s weft yarn type dipped in the last two months by Rs 8 per kg. Due to the production halt and subsequent demand from powerloom, the price has increased by Rs 5 per kg in the last eight days.Since the yarn price has recovered gradually, OE mills have started operation with the waste cotton in stock." The mills have stopped the purchase of waste cotton from the spinning mills as they have not changed the price, he added."Cotton is sold at the rate of Rs 53,000 per candy. Waste cotton price was fixed based on the cotton price for the last 15 years. Considering the present cotton price, the waste cotton should be sold below Rs 97 per kg. However, the spinning mills have increased the price from Rs 100 to Rs 113 per kg (comber noil rose) in a syndicate manner.When the spinning mills under the National Textile Corporation were in operation, the waste cotton was procured on auction basis by OE mills. Based on the auction price, private spinning mills were supplying at the same price.After NTC mills ceased their production, spinning mills started fixing prices for waste cotton in a syndicate manner without auction," said G Arulmozhi, the president of the Open-End Mills Association (OSMA).OE mills could start procuring waste cotton from spinning mills if they reduce the price by at least Rs 5 per kg, he added.READ MORE :- Piyush Goyal says Australia will remove 100% tariffs on Indian exports from January 1

Australia to Scrap 100% Tariffs on Indian Exports from Jan 1: Piyush GoyalCommerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday (December 29, 2025) that under the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) between the two countries, Australia will provide duty-free access to all Indian exports from January 1, 2026. The minister was commenting on the third anniversary of the deal, which came into effect on December 29, 2022."From January 1, 2026, 100% of Australian tariff lines for Indian exports will be zero-duty," Mr. Goyal shared on X on Monday (December 29, 2025). "Over the past three years, this agreement has resulted in consistent export growth, improved market access, and strengthened supply chain resilience, benefiting Indian exporters, MSMEs, farmers, and workers alike."The ECTA was an 'early harvest' deal, covering certain trade-related issues between the two countries, and both sides are currently negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) that will be broader and deeper in scope.According to Mr. Goyal, India's exports to Australia increased by 8% in 2024-25, improving India's trade balance, and saw "robust growth" in sectors such as manufacturing, chemicals, textiles, plastics, pharmaceuticals, petroleum products, and gems and jewelry."Agricultural exports registered broad-based growth, with sharp increases in fruits and vegetables, marine products, spices, and exceptional growth in coffee," Mr. Goyal added.READ MORE :- Textile Ministry Set to Receive $122 Million from Cotton Productivity Mission

Textile Ministry to Get $122M Boost for Cotton Productivity MissionAccording to industry sources, the Ministry of Textiles is poised to receive an allocation of approximately ₹1,100 crore (US$122 million) from the Indian government's new Cotton Productivity Mission. This move aims to strengthen the country's textile value chain. This allocation represents more than 20% of the mission's total proposed budget of approximately ₹6,000 crore (US$668 million).The funding is coming from the five-year Cotton Productivity Mission, announced in the Union Budget 2025-26, with the objective of addressing declining cotton production and quality issues in India and revitalizing the country's textile sector. Under the scheme, a significant portion of the total expenditure is being allocated to agencies involved in agricultural research and production, but the Ministry of Textiles has negotiated for a substantial share to be directed towards post-harvest and processing activities.According to officials familiar with the discussions, the ministry will utilize these funds to modernize ginning and pressing facilities, improve lint quality control, and enhance the handling of cotton bales to ensure high-quality raw material reaches textile mills. These measures aim to reduce contamination and deficiencies that currently undermine competitiveness in both domestic and export markets.Experts note that cotton production in India has declined for several consecutive seasons, and yield per hectare remains significantly lower than the global average – factors that have put increasing pressure on raw material supply for the textile industry. Proponents of the mission argue that investment in post-harvest infrastructure is crucial to reversing this trend and reducing reliance on imported cotton.The implementation of the mission and the release of funds are still contingent on final cabinet approval, which has been delayed since the initial announcement of the scheme. Government representatives have consistently emphasized the need for sustained inter-ministerial coordination to effectively implement the program. This mission is part of a broader government strategy to improve cotton productivity, encourage the cultivation of high-value varieties, including extra-long staple cotton, and strengthen the competitiveness of India's textile exports.READ MORE :- INR Opens Stronger by 05 Paise at 89.93