Indian Cotton Federation re-elects J Thulasidharan as President, calls for removal of cotton import duty

The Indian Cotton Federation (ICF) held its 45th Annual General Meeting on September 29, 2024 and re-electing J Thulasidharan as President for the coming year. The meeting also saw the re-election of Nataraj and Adhitya Krishna Pathy as Vice Presidents and the continuation of Nishanth A Asher and Chetan Joshi as Honorary Secretary and Honorary Joint Secretary, respectively.

Thulasidharan acknowledged the challenges being faced by the textile industry in the previous financial year due to falling demand. However, he expressed optimism about the future, citing positive predictions for cotton yield in the 2024-25 season. He emphasized the need for government support to address issues such as raw material prices and import duties.

ICF's honorary secretary, Nishanth Asher, highlighted the importance of sustainability in the textile industry and called for government intervention to create a level playing field for Indian textile and spinning businesses. He emphasized the need to address price volatility, supply chain bottlenecks, and trade barriers.

The ICF urged the government to remove import duty on cotton, arguing that it would help Indian textile manufacturers compete more effectively in the global market. The Federation also stressed the importance of government support for the industry to achieve its goal of increasing textile exports to $100 billion by 2030.