India's textile and apparel exports have shown resilience, maintaining growth momentum in December 2025 despite a subdued global trade environment and tariff shocks. According to official data released on January 16, 2026, the sector recorded positive growth for the second consecutive month, with exports reaching $3.27 billion in December 2025. This represents a 0.40% increase compared to December 2024, following a strong performance in November 2025.
The Ministry of Textiles has attributed this growth to the sector's adaptability, diversified market presence, and strength in value-added and labor-intensive segments. Despite a challenging global environment, analysts have noted that India's export performance reflects the resilience and adaptability of its exporters.
Several key segments drove export growth in December 2025. Handicrafts saw a robust increase of 7.2%, while ready-made garments increased by 2.89%. Additionally, exports of man-made fiber, yarn, fabrics, and made-ups experienced a growth of 3.99%. These trends highlight India's competitive advantage in value-added manufacturing, traditional crafts, and employment-intensive production, even amid volatile global demand conditions.
On a calendar-year basis (January–December 2025), textile and apparel exports remained stable at $37.54 billion. There was notable cumulative growth in handicrafts (17.5%), ready-made garments (3.5%), and jute products (3.5%). The stability at this level, despite geopolitical tensions and inflationary pressures in key markets, reflects the sector's structural strength and diversified export basket.
A key highlight of 2025 was significant market diversification. During January–November 2025, India's textile sector recorded export growth across 118 countries and destinations compared to the corresponding period in 2024. Strong expansion was observed in both emerging and traditional markets, including the United Arab Emirates (9.5%), Egypt (29.1%), Poland (19.3%), Sudan (182.9%), Japan (14.6%), Nigeria (20.5%), Argentina (77.8%), Cameroon (152.9%), and Uganda (75.7%). Steady growth was also seen in major European markets such as Spain (7.9%), France, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
However, it's important to note that cumulative exports of apparel and textiles from April to December 2025 decreased by -0.26% over the same period in 2024. While apparel exports saw a 2.89% increase in December 2025, textile exports experienced a -1.62% decline in growth compared to the previous year. Chandrima Chatterjee, executive director of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), attributed the weakness in apparel exports to persistent uncertainty in the US and Bangladesh markets.
Despite these challenges, Dr. A Sakthivel, Chairman of the Apparel Export Promotion Council, noted that the December 2025 export performance, showing a modest growth of 2.89% for the ready-made garment (RMG) sector, reflects the resilience and adaptability of the industry in a challenging global environment. He added that Indian apparel exporters have managed to hold ground through product diversification, improved compliance, and a stronger focus on value-added segments, even with uneven demand in key international markets.
