Textile and apparel exports take a hit in Q1

PUNE: The West Asia crisis and high raw material costs have continued to affect India's textile and apparel exports in the first quarter of 2026-27. In April-June 2026, Indian textile exports registered a growth of 5.19% over the previous year, while apparel exports growth compressed by -12.44% during the same period.

The cumulative export of textiles and apparel during April to June 2026 registered a de-growth of -2.95% over April-June 2025.

"During June 2026, textile exports increased by 9.64% over the previous year, while apparel exports registered a significant degrowth of -11.25%," said CITI in a statement.


The cumulative export of textile and apparel during June 2026 registered a miniscule 0.21% growth year-on-year.

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"We see an increase in textile exports as the exporters were able to pass on the increase in the raw material prices. It is not so easy to increase apparel prices." said Sanjay Jain, managing director, TT Ltd, a Delhi-based listed textile company.

"The Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, has a considerable share of our apparel exports, which was affected due to war," said Jain.

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The prices of yarn have increased by about 20% since November, which increases the production cost of garments, said exporters.

"The cycles of textile and apparel exports are different. The pipeline of textile exports had dried up, which led to an increase in exports after the uncertainties ebbed a bit. However, in the case of apparel, the decline in exports to the UAE, which is the third largest export destination for India, has weighed on overall exports," said Chandrima Chatterjee, executive director, CITI.