Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) successfully hosted the National Conference on Textiles in Ludhiana on 28 August 2025, drawing participation from senior industry leaders, policy-makers, entrepreneurs, and experts from across India’s textile value chain. The event served as a platform to chart a roadmap for future-ready textiles, focusing on sustainability, innovation, trade opportunities, and end-to-end value chain strengthening. The conference was chaired by Mr Updeep Singh, Conference Chairman, CEO (Odisha Projects) & Resident Director – Delhi, Welspun World, who called for urgent, mission-mode action in light of recent global trade shifts.
“The US government has decided to implement steep 50 per cent tariffs on merchandise from India, which will affect exports of low-margin, labour-intensive goods. This is a wake-up call for the entire textile industry.”, said Mr. Singh. “We must strengthen the entire textile value chain — starting from fibre, where cotton yield remains low at 443 kg/hectare. In parallel, we must diversify into man-made fibres and adopt an integrated approach that aligns with global demand.”
Adding a macroeconomic lens, Mr. Abheek Singhi, Managing Director and Senior Partner, BCG, remarked, “With a domestic market nearing $140 billion and exports around $40 billion, India’s textile sector is well positioned. But to unlock the next level, companies must go beyond traditional levers like quality and cost, and embed technology, design, and sustainability into their competitive DNA.”
Addressing the regional perspective, Dr. Ravinder Verma, Managing Director, Ganga Acrowools Ltd., highlighted Ludhiana’s evolving role in India’s textile resurgence:
“Ludhiana’s INR 20,000 crore textile hub is poised to shed its winter-wear dependence and unlock year-round growth. Diversifying into synthetics and technical textiles — such as athleisure — backed by FTAs, PLI schemes, and smarter cost strategies, can convert seasonal idle capacity into sustained momentum. This is essential to powering India’s $100 billion export ambition by 2030. The message is clear: true competitiveness will stem from a mindset shift — towards agility, innovation, and global ambition.”
The panel further spotlighted technical textiles as a key growth frontier across sectors including healthcare, agriculture, defence, and infrastructure. Mr. Amit Jain, Chairman, CII Punjab State & Managing Director, Shingora Textiles Pvt Ltd, emphasized “Technical textiles are emerging as a growth frontier. India and Ludhiana can scale globally by leveraging initiatives like NTTM (National Technical Textiles Mission), bridging R&D with commercialization, and building a skilled talent pipeline. A clear message resonated: companies must ring-fence budgets for research, as India’s leadership will hinge on bold investments in innovation and future-ready capabilities.”
