Tamil Nadu: Textile industry gets relief from budget, import duty becomes cause for concern
By yash chouhan 2026-02-02 16:30:34
Tamil Nadu textile industry welcomes budget reforms, raises concerns over import duty
Chennai, Feb 2: Tamil Nadu's textile and apparel industry, the cornerstone of India's export sector, has widely welcomed the initiatives in the Union Budget to emphasize infrastructure, skill development and export facilitation. The industry appreciated schemes like National Fiber Scheme, Mega Textile Park and Samarth 2.0, which were considered important for modernizing and upgrading the textile skills ecosystem.
However, the industry has warned that if the 11 per cent import duty on cotton is maintained, the impact of these reforms may be limited. Industry leaders from Tamil Nadu and other major textile manufacturing centers say timely availability of quality cotton is extremely essential to secure export orders and maintain employment in the value chain.
South India Mills Association President Durai Palanisamy said it is necessary to remove import duty on all types of cotton to overcome the shortage of quality cotton and meet export commitments. He pointed out that domestic cotton prices in India are already about five per cent higher than international levels, while 15 per cent higher than Brazilian cotton.
He also said that this price gap could widen in the coming months and seriously impact the financial viability of the entire textile value chain. Durai pointed out that the textile and apparel sector provides direct employment to about 35 million people and about 75 percent of India's total exports come from Tamil Nadu.
M. Jaipal, President of Recycled Textile Federation, also expressed disappointment over the import duty and high GST rate (18 percent), which needs to be reduced to 5 percent. He said that without these measures, the availability of raw materials at globally competitive prices will be limited.
Meanwhile, Apparel Export Promotion Council Chairman A. Sakthivel appreciated the emphasis on liquidity and business convenience in the budget. He said customs reforms and simplified documentation will reduce transaction costs and increase operational efficiency. He suggested that combining these steps with the review of cotton import duty would strengthen India and Tamil Nadu's position as a global textile hub.
