Fri, Jul 17, 2026
Bharat Tex Ends With A Bang, Now Momentum Needs To Turn Into Tangible Business Gains
India's textile exports (along with handicrafts) stood at ₹3,16,334.9 crore (about US$ $32.5 billion), an increase of 2.1% from 2024–25. The nation must carve out policy measures to expand it while encouraging exporters to cash in on FTA benefits
Jul 17, 2026 · 3 min read
Germany’s Heimtextil, the much-watched textile and garment trade fair held in Frankfurt or Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics in China or even Milano Unica in Italy, among others, have been grabbing the global attention for years. But now, India too is gradually starting to make waves: with its own Bharat Tex, showcasing the value chain for an integrated textile and garment framework.
This year Bharat Tex turned three.
The five-day event in the Capital drew more than 6,000 buyers along with participants from about 130 countries across the globe.
The aim of the event? Position India as a major global hub of the textiles and garment industry. Besides, it is expected to open up windows of trade and investment opportunities, accelerate innovation and sustainability.
The country’s share in the total global garment export pie is less than 5%.
For India, textile exports (along with handicrafts) stood at ₹3,16,334.9 crore (about US$ $32.5 billion) in 2025–26, an increase of 2.1% from ₹3,09,859.3 crore registered in 2024–25.
India And Other Asian Peers
China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh have a larger market share compared to India. While Vietnam’s total apparel and garment exports are estimated at about US$ 45 billion, Bangladesh’s stood at US$39 billion.
A host of trade pacts have pushed Vietnam’s expansion in apparel and garment exports. A sizeable chunk of China’s garment export orders is now being directed to Vietnam.
“The event reinforces India’s growing role as a trusted partner in the global textile value chain,” Giriraj Singh, Textiles Minister, said. The event surely has been an opportunity to portray the richness and diversity of fabric, investment opportunities and policy measures that different states of the country offer.
“One of the strengths of India, which needs to be harnessed, is the vibrancy of fabric and textiles that the country can offer; we have cotton, silk and khadi to name just a few,” a senior textiles ministry official told The Secretariat.
Diversification Of Markets
Traditionally, the US has been India’s key market, accounting for 28.97% of the overall textile and apparel exports pie. The US tariff uncertainty has, however, pushed India to now aggressively scout for new markets.
Japan, the UAE, several countries in Africa and South America are also coming up as credible export destinations for India.
India is now aggressively expanding its network through free trade agreements. On July 15, the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was rolled out. India-EU trade deal, touted as the mother of all deals, is also expected to be signed by the year-end.
“This free trade agreement is fair, equitable, and balanced, truly a win-win agreement for EU businesses in the EU, Indian businesses and the people of India,” Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, who is in Brussels for discussions, said.
However, the problem lies elsewhere: India’s low utilisation of FTAs. India’s FTA utilisation is about 30% compared to the global average of over 70%.
“Until exporters cash in on the benefits of the trade pacts, little will be achieved,” a trade analyst said.
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