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Cotton — India's “White Gold”
📅 Published 24 Jul 2026 · July 2026
Cotton — India's “White Gold”
Key Facts
| Parameter | India |
|---|---|
| Global cultivation area | 1st |
| Cotton area | 114.84 lakh ha |
| Share of global area | 38% |
| Global production | 2nd |
| Global consumption | 2nd |
| 2025–26 production | 290.91 lakh bales / 4.95 MT |
Importance
Cotton supports:
- ~6 million farmers
- 40–50 million people across the textile value chain.
India contributes approximately 19% of global fibre production.
Consumption
2025–26:
328 lakh bales / 5.58 MT
Exports
2024–25:
- 18 lakh bales
- 0.31 MMT
- ~3.37% of global cotton exports
- Export value: USD 11.49 billion
Major Destination for Cotton Fabrics & Made-ups
- 🇺🇸 USA — 26.35%
- 🇧🇩 Bangladesh — 19.81%
- 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka — 5.11%
- 🇬🇧 UK — 2.38%
- 🇦🇪 UAE — 2.32%
UPSC Angle
GS-III: Agriculture + textile industry + employment + exports + value chains.
Prelims Hook:
Cotton = White Gold → India #1 cultivation area → #2 production & consumption
📝 Relevant Exams:
UPSC