Cotton Industry and Exports

India is the largest producer of cotton globally, accounts for 23% of total global cotton production. It is a crop that holds significant importance for the Indian economy and the livelihood of Indian cotton farmers. Cotton grows over 13.06 million hectares in India compared to 33.1 million hectares globally. The Indian cotton industry provides livelihood to about 60 million people in the country.

India’s total production of cotton in the year 2023-24 (until November 2023) is 31.6 million bales (bales of 170 kg each). Total production of cotton in the year 2022-23 was 34.3 million bales and in 2021-22, it stood at 31.1 million bales. The Central Zone (which comprises states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh) was the biggest producer of cotton in India in 2022-23, with Gujarat being the highest producer of the Central Zone, contributing 9.49 million bales (bales of 170 kg each). Saurashtra constitutes about 70% of Gujarat’s cotton production, with farmers in Amreli - the state’s largest cotton district – playing a key role. Yavatamal, Buldhana, Akola Amravati Nagpur Washim, and Wardha are the districts of Vidarbha which are Maharashtra’s major cotton-producing areas.

The Southern Zone (which comprises states like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu) is the second biggest producer of cotton, producing about 28.5% of the nation’s cotton, with Telangana producing the largest in the Southern Zone and the third largest in the country, contributing 5.31 million bales (bales of 170 kg each). The cotton textiles industry is the second largest employer in the country after agriculture, while also sustaining the livelihoods of an estimated 6.5 million cotton farmers and driving a large export market.