India identifies 40 nations to ease textile sector stress amid US tariff blow: Report
New Delhi: With the textile sector emerging as the hardest hit under the United States' reciprocal tariff regime, the Indian government is reportedly moving in "war mode" to cushion the impact on an industry that employs over 45 million people.
“40 key importing countries have been identified as part of efforts to diversify India’s textile exports,” The New Indian Express quoted government sources as saying on Thursday. These markets span North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Oceania and together represent nearly three-fourths of global demand for textiles and apparel.
Government officials say targeted outreach programmes are being developed to expand India's modest 5–6% market share in these regions, with a focus on apparel, home textiles, technical textiles, and handicrafts. The effort reportedly began several months ago, and early signs show a positive trend in export figures.
According to the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence & Statistics (DGCIS), India’s textile exports rose to $3.10 billion in July 2025, a 5.37% increase year-on-year. From April to July 2025, total exports stood at $12.18 billion, up 3.87% compared to the same period last year.
Special focus is being placed on Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with partner nations, including the recently signed India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Officials quoted in the report mentioned that Export Promotion Councils, in coordination with Indian missions abroad, will lead targeted promotion drives to position India as a reliable source of quality, sustainable, and innovative textiles while reducing overdependence on a handful of traditional markets.
The urgency stems from a sharp blow dealt by the US, which last year accounted for $10.8 billion or 35% of India’s textile exports. With apparel exports now facing a 63.9% duty, Indian exporters find themselves at a 30–35% price disadvantage compared to competitors such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, Mexico, and Central American nations.
Industry insiders have warned that continued tariff pressure could lead to 15–20 lakh job losses in the apparel segment alone.
To address the crisis, the government has formed four industry-led committees tasked with recommending time-bound measures covering fiscal, banking and credit support, structural reforms in the value chain, and cost competitiveness through innovation, added the report.
Commenting on the trade strain, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinted that India’s delays in trade deal negotiations may have contributed to the steep tariffs, rather than just its Russian oil purchases. He, however, said: “I think at the end of the day, we’ll come together.”
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'Rear-guard action': BJP over Mamata accepting sports minister's resignation after Messi event
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's accepting Aroop Biswas' resignation as the state sports minister is nothing but a "rear-guard action" to douse public anger over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week.
BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya alleged that this is also an "open confession" that the Messi event fiasco was not accidental but a government-manufactured disaster, borne out of the poor governance of Banerjee, her ministers and the state bureaucracy.
Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Biswas' resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling TMC said.
Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of his responsibilities as sports minister, will continue as a cabinet minister, retaining charge of the power department.
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Reacting to the development, Malviya said in a post on X, "TMC Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigns after the Messi fiasco and Mamata Banerjee accepts it in record time."
"Do not mistake this for accountability; this is nothing but a rear-guard action to douse public anger. anger! This is not 'Raj Dharma'," he added.
The BJP leader alleged that the incident was the outcome of "loot" of common people which is "so synonymous" with the TMC.
The incident was also the outcome of the "shameless VIP culture that TMC thrives on and deep-rooted cronyism promoted by Banerjee," he charged.
Malviya further alleged that Biswas' resignation exposes a "collective failure of Mamata Banerjee, her partisan bureaucracy, and her crony cabinet".
"This is a symbolic sacrifice, a political hoax, soon to be buried under layers of bureaucracy, with no justice, no accountability, and no remorse," the BJP leader said, adding, "No resignation will bring back the time lost, the money wasted, or the stolen chance for football lovers to witness Messi in Kolkata."
