The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved an outlay of Rs 56.59 billion for the “Mission for Cotton Productivity” for the period 2026–27 to 2030–31, aimed at addressing key challenges in India’s cotton sector such as stagnant productivity, quality concerns and supply chain bottlenecks.

Aligned with the Government of India’s 5F vision — Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign — the mission focuses on improving cotton productivity and strengthening India’s position in global textile markets by 2030–31.

A major component of the programme is the development of high-yielding, climate-resilient and pest-resistant cotton seeds, along with the promotion of modern crop production practices. The mission will scale up advanced technologies such as High Density Planting System (HDPS), closer spacing, integrated cotton management and the cultivation of Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton.

To improve cotton quality, the mission will support capacity building initiatives and modernization of ginning and processing factories, encouraging adoption of best processing practices. It will also strengthen cotton testing infrastructure with modern, standardized and accredited facilities to enable reliable quality benchmarking.

Branding and traceability efforts under “Kasturi Cotton Bharat” will be expanded to position Indian cotton as a premium and globally trusted product. In addition, digital integration of mandis will be promoted to improve transparency, price discovery and market access for farmers.

The mission also includes cotton waste recycling and circular economy initiatives, alongside diversification of India’s fibre base through natural fibres such as flax, ramie, sisal, milkweed, bamboo and banana.

The programme will be jointly implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the Ministry of Textiles, involving ICAR, CSIR and State Agricultural Universities. Initially, 140 districts across 14 states and around 2,000 ginning and processing factories will be covered.

The mission aims to increase cotton production to 498 lakh bales by 2031 and raise lint productivity from 440 kg/ha to 755 kg/ha. Around 32 lakh farmers are expected to benefit, supporting India’s goal of achieving self-reliance in the cotton sector.