Textile Industry in India and Pakistan continues to be dominated by cotton, accounting for nearly 65 to 70 of the total fibre consumption in these countries.
Globally fibre consumption is dominated by manmade fibres having 70 percent of share in total fibre consumption. Contrary to the global trend, fibre consumption in India is skewed towards natural fibres with around 65 percent share. The share of cotton in Pakistani textile products is 70 percent. To grab a larger share of textiles in the global markets both countries need to increase the use of manmade fiber. Bangladesh consumes natural and manmade fibers near to global trends.
India is the largest producer of manmade fibers and is a major exporter of these fibers. Pakistan produces on polyester fiber only and its production cost is higher than global rates which makes Pakistani blended textile products uncompetitive. Both countries are major cotton producers.
The Indian government has planned to increase its textile exports to $209 billion in 2029 from the current $100 billion. Man-made fibres (MMF) are poised to grow because of significant investments in world-class production plants, ongoing innovation, new product mix and the need for countries to seek an alternative to China in their restructured supply chain. Pakistani planners expect the textile exports to cross $5 billion by 2030. Global textile trade stands at $1300 billion. The combined exports of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh stand at $160 billion.
The potential to grow is high. Bangladesh and India are on path to grab more share, Pakistani entrepreneurs have recently recognized the potential of value-added textiles and are expected to increase their share gradually as they face capacity constraints.
