Mission for Cotton Productivity to foster innovation across textile value chain

Unveiled during the 2025-26 Budget, the Mission for Cotton Productivity aims to foster innovation across the entire textile value chain besides improving cotton productivity and quality, says Giriraj Singh, Union Textile Minister. To align with India’s Vision 2030, the Mission will focus on developing climate-smart, pest-resistant, and high-yielding cotton varieties, with a particular emphasis on Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton. This will leverage advanced breeding and biotechnology tools to ensure a sustainable and resilient cotton supply for the industry, adds Singh.

To put these goals into action, the ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur is spearheading a special project titled 'Targeting technologies to agro-ecological zones-large scale demonstration of best practices to enhance cotton productivity' is already underway. The government has allocated a substantial Rs 6,032.35 lakhs for this project, underscoring its commitment to the future of India's cotton sector.