Indian Government Waives Import Duties on Cotton from June 1 to October 30

New Delhi, May 30: In response to current geopolitical tensions, the Indian government announced on Saturday a temporary waiver of all import duties on cotton from June 1 to October 30. This measure aims to enhance the availability of cotton for the Indian textile industry.

According to the official notification, this temporary duty exemption is expected to reduce production costs for the textile and apparel sector. It will provide relief to both manufacturers and consumers while also considering the interests of domestic farmers.

The government believes that this initiative will positively impact the domestic textile industry, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), ensuring better availability of cotton in the market.

Earlier this month, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Cabinet approved a budget of ₹5,659.22 crores for the ‘Cotton Productivity Mission’ (2026-27 to 2030-31). This mission aims to address production-related barriers, slow growth, and quality challenges in India’s cotton sector.

Aligned with the government’s ‘5F Vision’ (from farm to fiber, fiber to factory, factory to fashion, and fashion to foreign markets), the mission seeks to develop disease and pest-resistant high-yield cotton varieties, adopt the latest agricultural technologies at scale, and provide industries with low-pollution quality cotton. It also aims to boost the export of high-quality cotton.

The mission’s primary focus is on developing high-yield, climate-resilient, and pest-resistant seeds. Additionally, it will emphasize the expansion of modern techniques such as High-Density Planting System (HDPS), close planting, integrated cotton management, and promoting Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton.

Furthermore, the mission will work on capacity building to improve cotton quality, modernizing ginning and processing units, adopting better processing methods, and strengthening modern and standardized cotton testing facilities across the country. This will ensure reliable quality assessment and production in line with global standards.

The goal is to increase cotton production from 440 kilograms per hectare to 755 kilograms per hectare by 2031, reaching a target of 49.8 million bales (each weighing 170 kilograms). This initiative is expected to benefit approximately 3.2 million farmers, helping them become self-reliant.