The Cotton Textile Export Promotion Council (Texprocil) will focus on expanding the volume of cotton branded as Kasturi Cotton Bharat over the next two years and promoting the benefits of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) for India’s textile sector. Newly elected chairman Ravi Sam said the council would also work to improve cotton quality, traceability and awareness among international retail brands.
Expanding Kasturi Cotton Bharat
Less than 50% of the cotton brought for branding currently meets the mandatory specifications and testing requirements for Kasturi Cotton. Texprocil aims to increase the quantity that qualifies for the branding programme over the next two years.
Ravi Sam said retail brands in other countries should recognise the quality of Kasturi Cotton and encourage its use in products with traceability. The branding process begins at ginning units, making quality control and traceability important throughout the supply chain.
He also stressed that farmers should receive a premium for Kasturi Cotton, reflecting the benefits it offers to ginners and other participants in the textile value chain.
Ensuring Cotton Quality and Seed Availability
The government should ensure that the availability of spurious cotton seeds is controlled and reduce the number of approved seed varieties so that farmers have clarity about which seeds to sow, Ravi Sam said.
These measures would support efforts to improve fibre quality and help farmers benefit from the Kasturi Cotton initiative.
Promoting Free Trade Agreement Benefits
Texprocil will also focus on helping Indian textile exporters take advantage of Free Trade Agreements. Ravi Sam noted that Indian garment exporters had limited access to the UK and European markets for nearly two decades because duties were imposed on Indian goods.
With India signing FTAs, the textile industry should make better use of the opportunities available under these agreements.
The Confederation of Indian Industry’s Southern Region has begun conducting handholding sessions for exporters on FTAs. Texprocil plans to make this another area of focus to help exporters understand and use the benefits available to them.