As the second largest producer of cotton worldwide, India’s cotton production reached 12.25 million hectares in 2015 up from 11.5 million hectares the previous year.
Cotton exports are expected to equal 6.8 million hectares in the season ending in 2016. Cotton plays a very important role in India’s economy with Indian yarn exports of $2.9 billion and cotton fabric and madeups (fabrics that are stitched, embroidered, or otherwise modified) exports equaling $4.1 billion.
The three states that dominated cotton production within India in the cotton growing season between 2014 and 2015 were Gujarat, Maharashtra in the west and Andhra Pradesh in the south. Gujarat remained India’s top cotton producing state at 11 million bales. Maharashtra came in second producing 8.3 million bales, while Andhra Pradesh produced 2.7 million bales. The total cotton production within that year was estimated by the Mumbai based Cotton Corporation of India to be 39 million bales, an increase from the 37 million bales in 2014. In 2014, cotton yarn was also estimated to be worth around $2.9 billion.
Some of the largest importers of India’s raw cotton are China, Bangladesh, Egypt, Taiwan, Hong Kong. In 2014, Bangladesh actually surpassed China as India’s greatest cotton customer.
Some global brands that use Indian cotton are Nike, Levi Strauss & Co., Tommy Hilfiger, Macy’s, Sweden-based H&M, and U.K.-based Marks & Spencer.
Last updated: August 6th, 2016
