How Tamil Nadu Overtook Gujarat to Lead India’s Textile Export Race

Tamil Nadu has emerged as the India’s top textile exporter in 2024-25 with state has surpassing Gujarat and Maharashtra with exports worth of $7,997.17 million. In the last four years state recorded a strong growth of over 29% which is reflecting consistent policy support and expansion. With this umbers its contribution to India’s total textile exports now stands at 21.84%.

Strong Growth in Textile Exports

State has witnessed steady growth in textile exports increasing from $6,193 million in 2020-21 to nearly $8 billion in 2024-25. With strong industrial base, skilled workforce and export oriented production ecosystem played the role for the growth.

The rise in exports has been driven by several policy initiatives like infrastructure development and global demand for Indian textiles.

India Textile Export Ranking 2026

As per the latest ranking Tamil Nadu have secured the top position among Indian states in textile exports.

Coastal state Gujarat ranked second with exports worth $5,646.01 million along with it Maharashtra stood third with $3,831.29 million.

This shift in ranking highlights competitive advantage in textile manufacturing and exports.

It also outperformed traditional textile hubs by focusing on value-added products, innovation and strong supply chain networks.

Tamil Nadu Share to Textile Sector

Tamil Nadu accounts for the 21.84% of country’s total textile exports and will making it a crucial contributor to the country’s trade economy.

India’s total textile exports stood at $36,610 million and which shows the sector’s importance in foreign exchange earnings.

High share of state reflects its large scale production capacity and export readiness.

Policy Push Behind Growth

The state government played huge role in boosting textile exports. Various schemes and coordinated efforts across departments have supported the industrial growth and export promotion.

Key factors driving growth include are,

• Supportive industrial policies
• Infrastructure and logistics improvements
• Focus on export-oriented units
• Skill development and workforce availability

About India’s Textile Industry

India is one of the largest textile producers globally and it have a strong presence in cotton, garments and synthetic fibers.

This sector contributes significantly to employment, exports and industrial growth.

States like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Maharashtra are key textile hubs of country and produced majority portion of the country’s output.

Question

Q. What is Tamil Nadu’s share in India’s total textile exports in 2024-25?

A. 15%
B. 18.5%
C. 21.84%
D. 25%