Textiles

The Indian textile industry is one of the oldest and most significant industries in the country. It accounts for around 4 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), 14 per cent of industrial production and over 13 per cent of the country's total export earnings. In fact, it is the largest foreign exchange earning sector in the country. Moreover, it provides employment to over 35 million people.

The Indian textile industry is estimated to be around US$ 52 billion and is likely to reach US$ 115 billion by 2012. The domestic market is likely to increase from US$ 34.6 billion to US$ 60 billion by 2012. It is expected that India's share of exports to the world would also increase from the current 4 per cent to around 7 per cent during this period.

India's textile exports have shot up from US$ 19.14 billion in 2006-07 to US$ 22.13 billion in 2007-08, registering a growth of over 15 per cent.