India’s cotton production, prices, imports and Mission for Cotton Productivity (Kapas Kanti)
Kapas Kanti (Mission for Cotton Productivity) and India’s cotton supply–price calibration through imports and tariff exemptions
- The Government of India approved Kapas Kanti for 2026–27 to 2030–31 with the stated outlay to increase cotton productivity and improve cotton quality.
- The Government of India attributes variation in cotton output mainly to changes in cotton acreage, while describing cotton productivity as broadly stable over recent seasons.
- The Government of India uses imports of raw cotton and cotton yarn to augment domestic availability when required and supports cotton availability through a time-bound 11% import-duty exemption for cotton imports from 01.06.2026 to 31.10.2026 and continued ELS cotton duty exemption for ITC HS Code 52010025 effective from 20.02.2024.
What happened
The Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, shared cotton output trends, domestic and international price movement, import volumes for raw cotton and cotton yarn, and policy measures supporting cotton availability. The key policy announcement is the approval of the five-year Mission for Cotton Productivity (Kapas Kanti) for 2026–27 to 2030–31, along with specific time-bound and continued import-duty exemptions intended to support competitive raw cotton supply.
Cotton production, productivity, and the role of acreage
UPSC can frame cotton policy as a combined strategy: acreage and productivity stability shape supply, while tariff exemptions and import decisions smooth raw-material availability for the textile industry. Candidates can analyse the governance trade-off between medium-term productivity improvement and short-term price/availability management when global prices change.
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