Hours after steep 50 per cent tariffs on Indian products came into effect in the United States, New Delhi has drawn up a dedicated outreach programme across 40 countries to promote textile exports — a sector that has emerged as one of the worst hit under Washington’s new trade measures, officials said.
India’s textile and apparel sector employs more than 45 million people and has been identified as especially vulnerable to the U.S. reciprocal tariff regime. The initiative aims to counterbalance losses in the American market by building stronger trade ties elsewhere.
Key target markets include Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Belgium, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates and Australia.
Officials said the plan involves a targeted approach in each country, positioning India as a reliable supplier of quality, sustainable and innovative textile products. Indian industry groups, export promotion councils (EPCs) and Indian missions abroad will play lead roles in the outreach.
According to the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence & Statistics (DGCIS), India’s textile exports rose to USD 3.10 billion in July 2025, a 5.37 per cent year-on-year increase.
Between April and July 2025, cumulative exports stood at USD 12.18 billion, up 3.87 per cent from the same period last year.
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India currently exports to more than 220 countries, but officials noted the 40 identified markets “hold the real key to diversification.” Collectively, these nations represent over USD 590 billion in textile and apparel imports, while India’s share remains just 5–6 per cent.
The United States is India’s single largest textile export destination, accounting for USD 10.8 billion — or 35 per cent — of shipments last year.
However, with apparel exports to the U.S. now facing duties of 63.9 per cent, Indian exporters are at a price disadvantage of 30–35 per cent compared with rivals in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Mexico and Central America. Industry insiders have warned that if the tariffs remain in place, the apparel sector alone could see 15–20 lakh job losses.
The new tariffs, which took effect on August 27, are expected to impact Indian exports worth more than USD 48 billion. Besides textiles and clothing, the measures affect gems and jewellery, shrimp, leather and footwear, animal products, chemicals and electrical and mechanical machinery.
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