Chandragupta Amritkar

India’s textile and apparel sector stands as one of the country’s most vital economic engines—deeply interwoven with rural livelihoods, industrial growth, exports, and employment generation. With a presence across the entire value chain—from fibre and yarn to garments, technical textiles, and handicrafts—the sector reflects both scale and diversity.

The recent Indian budget 2026 brought into focus the Indian textile market which prioritized the textile sector with a major focus on employment, exports, and sustainability. Add to this the proposed India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which is poised to significantly boost the Indian textile sector by eliminating tariffs (up to 12% previously) on textiles and apparel, providing duty-free access to the $263.5 billion EU market.

ATF 2026 once again served as a key platform for regional dialogue and tourism collaboration, bringing together the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Timor-Leste, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Laos for an in-depth media briefing. Eight ASEAN Member States shared tourism updates, highlighting travel trends, priority initiatives, and the cultural and natural assets shaping their tourism directions.