New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a five-year Mission for Cotton Productivity with an outlay of Rs 5,659.22 crore, aimed at boosting yields, improving quality and addressing structural chal-lenges in India's cotton sector.
Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Cabinet cleared the mission for 2026-27 to 2030-31 to tackle bottlenecks, declining growth and quality concerns.
The initiative aligns with the government's '5F vision'-Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign.
India's cotton production is estimated at 291 lakh bales (170 kg each) in the 2025-26 crop year. The mission targets output of 498 lakh bales by 2031 by increasing lint productivity from 440 kg per hectare to 755 kg per hectare.
The programme will focus on developing high-yielding, climate-resilient and pest-resistant seed varie-ties, while scaling up advanced farming practices through state governments, Krishi Vigyan Kendras and State Agricultural Universities.
Technologies such as High Density Planting System, closer spacing and integrated cotton management will be promoted, along with cultivation of Extra Long Staple cot-ton.
About 32 lakh farmers are expected to benefit from the mission, which was announced in the FY26 Budget.
It will be implemented jointly by the Ministries of Agriculture and Textiles, with support from 10 Indian Council of Agricultural Research institutes, one Council for Scientific and Industrial Research institute and 10 centres under the All India Coordinated Research Project
on cotton.
In the initial phase, 140 districts across 14 states will be covered, along with 2,000 ginning and pro-cessing units to enhance fibre quality and reduce contamination.
The government said the mission would be a milestone in making India self-reliant in the cotton sec-tor.
It includes plans to modernise ginning and processing units, strengthen cotton testing infrastruc-ture with standardised and accredited facilities, and ensure reliable quality assessment aligned with global benchmarks.
Branding and traceability initiatives under Kasturi Cotton Bharat will be expanded to position Indian cotton as a premium, sustainable product globally.
The mission also aims to digitally integrate mandis to improve price discovery and market access for farmers.
Additionally, it will promote cotton waste recycling and circular economy practices to improve resource efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
The initiative also seeks to diversify India's fibre base by encouraging natural fibres such as flax, ramie, sisal, bamboo and banana, while advancing sustainable textile
innovations.