Why in News
The Union Cabinet approved the Mission for Cotton Productivity on May 6, 2026 — a five-year scheme worth ₹5,659.22 crore (FY 2026–27 to 2030–31) to transform India’s cotton sector. The mission targets a dramatic improvement in yield, a premium brand for Indian cotton, and digital empowerment of ~32 lakh cotton farmers across 14 states.
Mission for Cotton Productivity — Key Parameters
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Budget | ₹5,659.22 crore |
| Duration | FY 2026–27 to FY 2030–31 (5 years) |
| Coverage | 140 districts across 14 major cotton-growing states |
| Current lint productivity | 440 kg/hectare |
| Target lint productivity | 755 kg/hectare by 2031 |
| Current production | ~340 lakh bales/year |
| Target production | 498 lakh bales by 2031 (each bale = 170 kg) |
| Beneficiary farmers | ~32 lakh via digital platform |
| Ginning factories | 2,000 covered under the scheme |
| Implementing ministries | Agriculture + Textiles (jointly); with ICAR and CSIR |
| Premium brand | “Kasturi Cotton Bharat” |
| Trash content target | Below 2% |
India’s Cotton Sector — Current Status
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Cotton acreage | ~11.4 million hectares (~21% of global cotton area) |
| India’s global rank | 2nd largest cotton producer globally |
| India’s lint productivity | 440 kg/ha — below global average of ~770 kg/ha |
| Major producing states | Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana |
| Cotton’s role | Raw material for India’s $44 billion textiles sector; ~6 crore livelihoods |
| Key issue | India grows ~21% of world’s cotton on its land but produces only ~23% of global output — productivity gap vs China (~1,900 kg/ha) and Brazil (~1,700 kg/ha) is stark |
Kasturi Cotton Bharat — Branding Initiative
The “Kasturi Cotton Bharat” brand is India’s premium cotton label — analogous to Egyptian Cotton or Supima (US) — designed to:
- Certify Indian cotton’s traceability and quality (lint purity, fibre length, strength)
- Reduce trash content to below 2% (international textile buyers require <2%)
- Enable Indian cotton to command premium prices in global markets
- Compete against branded natural fibres from the US, Egypt, and Australia
Key Interventions Under the Mission
| Intervention | Detail |
|---|---|
| Improved seed distribution | High-Yielding Varieties (HYVs) and Bt cotton varieties with better fibre quality |
| Precision agriculture | Soil health, drip irrigation, nutrient management for cotton |
| Pest management | Pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) control — India’s #1 cotton pest |
| Mechanisation | Machine picking to reduce contamination and labour costs |
| Ginning modernisation | Upgrade 2,000 ginning/processing factories for quality standards |
| Digital platform | Direct farmer registration, benefit transfer, traceability system |
| Kasturi Cotton certification | Traceability-backed premium brand for export markets |
Cotton and Textiles — UPSC Framework
| Concept | Detail |
|---|---|
| India’s textile exports | ~USD 44 billion (FY 2025) — 2nd largest earner after gems/jewellery |
| Cotton’s share | Natural fibre accounts for ~70% of India’s apparel; major export segment |
| PM MITRA | PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel Parks — 7 parks for manufacturing |
| PLI for Textiles | Production Linked Incentive for MMF (man-made fibres) and technical textiles |
| TUFS | Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme — textile machinery modernisation |
| Pink bollworm crisis | Devastated Maharashtra and Gujarat cotton crops in 2021–23; triggered resistance to Bt varieties |
UPSC Relevance
| Paper | Angle |
|---|---|
| GS3 — Agriculture | Cotton productivity, HYVs, Bt cotton, pest management |
| GS3 — Economy | Textiles sector, value chain, export competitiveness |
| GS2 — Governance | Cabinet schemes, Ministry of Agriculture + Ministry of Textiles coordination |
Mains Keywords: Mission for Cotton Productivity, Kasturi Cotton Bharat, lint yield, Bt cotton, pink bollworm, textile exports, PM MITRA, ICAR, ginning factories, cotton value chain, digital farmer platform
Prelims Facts Corner
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| Mission budget | ₹5,659.22 crore; FY 2026–31 |
| Coverage | 140 districts; 14 states |
| Lint yield target | 755 kg/ha (from current 440 kg/ha) |
| Production target | 498 lakh bales by 2031 (each bale = 170 kg) |
| Beneficiary farmers | ~32 lakh |
| Premium brand | Kasturi Cotton Bharat |
| Trash content target | Below 2% |
| India’s cotton acreage | ~11.4 million hectares |
| Global average lint yield | ~770 kg/ha (India at 440 is below average) |
| Implementing ministries | Agriculture + Textiles (ICAR + CSIR support) |
