TEXPROCIL India Pavilion inaugurated at Yarn Expo & Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics Show by Pratik Mathur, Consul General on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Snehaja, Consul (Commercial) and TEXPROCIL COA members were present on the occasion.

As demand picks up, the Indian cotton yarn exporters are eyeing a higher market share in China, the world’s largest textiles hub.

Indian yarn exporters and manufacturers are making a strong pitch at the ongoing Yarn and Apparel Expo in Shanghai showcasing their products such as premium 100 per cent cotton yarns, combed & compact yarns, organic-certified cotton, and speciality blends.

Indian cotton yarn exports to China had shrunk in the post Covid period, due to weak demand and price issues and had staged a recovery since then. It gained pace in the past couple of years even as exporters are hoping to build on the demand trend to expand their market share.

‘China critical to textile supply chains’

At the Shanghai expo, the TEXPROCIL India Pavilion, featuring around 40 exhibitors this year, was inaugurated by Pratik Mathur, Consul General of India and Snehaja, Consul Commercial, along with Texprocil Committee of Administration (COA) members on Tuesday. The Shanghai expo is one of the world’s premier trade platforms for the upstream and downstream textile value chain - covering everything from raw fibers and yarns to finished apparel fabrics.

“China remains a critical buyer and processing hub for global textile supply chains. The strong presence of Indian exporters at the Shanghai show underlines India’s competitive positioning as a reliable supplier of high-quality, traceable, and eco-friendly cotton yarns and textile inputs on the global stage,” said Sharad Khemka, MD, SP Group, manufacturer and exporter of yarns, fabrics and apparels.

“A major emphasis is being placed on sustainable, traceable, and value-added cotton solutions, including national initiatives like Kasturi Cotton Bharat,” said Khemka, who’s also a Texprocil COA member.

Exports more than double

India’s exports of cotton yarn to China more than doubled during FY2025-26 to over $460 million from the previous year’s $217 million, an increase of 112 per cent on rebound in demand from the neighbouring buyer. China accounted for over 13.51 per cent of India’s cotton yarn exports during 2025-26.

India’s cotton yarn exports during 2025-26 were down by about 2 per cent at $2857 million from previous year’s on weak demand from countries such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, Italy and Portugal among others.

Khemka said the market share for Indian exporters is recovering from the extreme slump, witnessed a few years earlier. “In the current year 2026-27, we are expecting further growth in market share for Indian cotton yarn in China,” Khemka said.

Despite this recent growth, China’s current share remains far below pre-2022 and historical decade-ago levels, when it commanded 30 per cent to 40 per cent of Indian yarn exports, he added.

The USDA in its latest update on world cotton market and trade said India’s cotton consumption this year is fuelled by the cotton yarn demand from China and cotton product demand from developed countries.

“India’s cotton yarn exports to China tripled in the first 10 months of the marketing year and market share rose from 7 to 21 percent. China’s overall yarn imports increased over the same period, but India’s growth far exceeds that of other major suppliers as its exports benefited from a depreciating rupee and falling yarn prices,” the USDA said.

Published on August 26, 2026