Uttar Pradesh (UP), which ranks among the leading textile hubs, saw its textile, apparel and handicraft exports jump 10 per cent to nearly ₹35,000 crore in the financial year 2026 (FY26), up from over ₹31,804 crore in FY25.
Uttar Pradesh is India’s third-largest manufacturer of fabrics, accounting for roughly 13 per cent of domestic production. The apparel and textiles industry employs 1.5 million people. An estimated 200,000 handloom weavers and 500,000 powerloom weavers are in the state.
The state signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) for investment proposals worth ₹5,196 crore at the recent UP Textile Conclave 2026 in Lucknow. In his address, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the state now aspires to become a global textile hub. “Our goal is to develop the entire value chain in Uttar Pradesh; from fiber to yarn, yarn to fabric, fabric to garment and garment to brand, and then take it to the global market.”
The state accounts for 90 per cent of India’s carpet production. Yogi invited entrepreneurs, investors, and exporters to partner with Uttar Pradesh in weaving a mutual success story in textiles. With exports of ₹21,000 crore in FY26, Gautam Buddha Nagar district ranks second among the country’s major exporting districts.
Meanwhile, the state’s 17 textile products have received the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tags. A GI tag is a legal certification mark used on products from a specific geographical location that have distinct qualities and traditional manufacturing methods linked directly to that origin.
“Technical textiles are emerging in sectors such as defence, healthcare, agriculture and sports. Therefore, UP will have to strengthen its technical capabilities while moving beyond traditional textiles,” Yogi said.
The state government has identified land for textile projects in Varanasi, Amroha, Bareilly, Sant Kabir Nagar and Bijnor, while a similar process is underway in other places.
