new delhi, May 5
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved an outlay of Rs 5,659.22 crore for a new “Mission for Cotton Productivity”, covering the period from 2026–27 to 2030–31, aimed at tackling structural bottlenecks, reversing declining growth, and improving quality in India’s cotton sector, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said after the meeting.
Briefing reporters, Vaishnaw said the mission is intended to boost productivity, strengthen quality standards, and enhance the global competitiveness of Indian cotton. “The mission will address key challenges in the cotton value chain while improving productivity and ensuring high-quality output for both domestic industry and exports,” he said.
The initiative is aligned with the government’s “5F” vision—Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign—and focuses on developing high-yielding, climate-resilient and pest-resistant seed varieties, along with scaling up modern crop production technologies through state governments, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, and State Agricultural Universities. It also promotes advanced practices such as High Density Planting System (HDPS), closer spacing, and integrated cotton management, while encouraging the cultivation of Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton.
To address quality concerns, the mission will invest in capacity building and modernisation of ginning and processing units, while also strengthening cotton testing infrastructure through standardised and accredited facilities. The aim is to ensure contamination-free cotton and improve India’s global benchmarking standards.
A major component of the programme is branding and traceability under Kasturi Cotton Bharat, which seeks to position Indian cotton as a premium and sustainable product in international markets. The government will also push for digital integration of mandis to enable transparent price discovery and better market access for farmers via e-platforms.
The mission includes measures to promote the recycling of cotton waste and circular economy practices to reduce environmental impact and generate additional value. It also proposes diversification into other natural fibres such as flax, ramie, sisal, milkweed, bamboo and banana to complement cotton and align India’s textile sector with evolving global demand trends.Implementation will be jointly overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the Ministry of Textiles, with participation from institutions such as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The programme will initially cover 140 districts across 14 states and include around 2,000 ginning and processing factories.
The government has set a target of producing 498 lakh bales of cotton—each weighing 170 kg—by 2030–31, while raising lint productivity from 440 kg per hectare to 755 kg per hectare. Around 32 lakh farmers are expected to benefit, with officials describing the initiative as a significant step towards achieving self-reliance in the cotton sector. Officials added that the mission’s emphasis on technology deployment, farmer training, infrastructure strengthening, and sustainable fibre innovation represents a comprehensive push to transform India’s cotton ecosystem and enhance its standing in global textile markets.
