India is poised to see a boost in cotton production, with projections indicating an increase to 36 million bales (170 kg each) in the 2023-24 season from the previous year's 34.2 million bales, states Lalit Kumar Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director of the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI).
Despite a marginal reduction in the area dedicated to cotton cultivation, decreasing to 12.6 million hectares from 12.9 million hectares last year, the government remains optimistic about maintaining output levels. CCI plans to procure over one million bales of premium Kasturi cotton in October, aiming to offset any potential impact on production.
Kasturi cotton is currently processed by around 300 ginning and pressing factories registered with the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL). Renowned for its stringent quality standards, Kasturi cotton upholds a 2 per cent cap on trash content and ensures 100% traceability.
Despite being a significant cotton producer, India only recently launched its own cotton brand. In comparison, Egypt has consistently produced one million bales of its prestigious Giza Cotton brand annually.
To showcase and promote the newly established cotton brand, the Textile Ministry is organizing BharatTex, a three-day global textile event scheduled to commence on February 26 in New Delhi.
