INDIA'S WOVEN

FROM WEAVING, SPINNING, AND CULTIVATING COTTON TO INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION AND BEGINNING OF E-COMMERCE, THIS IS HOW THE INDIAN TEXTILE INDUSTRY HAS REVOLUTIONIZED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.

- Jamil Ahmad

The Indian textile industry has an unshakable reputation for its long-standing history and rich cultural association. The history of textile in India can be dated back to the Harappan Civilization when cotton weaving and spinning were common practice. Throughout history, we have many references to the booming textile industry which attracted many eyes from the nooks and corners of the world. It is thrilling to note that Bengal alone constituted 50% and 80% of textile and silk imports, respectively, from Asia in the 18th century. Bengali Muslin, or ‘daka textiles’ as they would call it in Central Asia, were most popular. It would not be an exaggeration to suggest that European fashion in the 17th and 18th centuries owed much to the Indian textiles industry.

The Indian hold on the textile sector loosened inevitably when the Western World began to celebrate the Industrial Revolution. The textile operation majorly shifted to the system of procuring cotton from the Indian subcontinent and sending it to the English mills for its final shape. The market was flooded with the best quality Indian cotton but they bore the imperial trademark. Post-Independence, the road to success may have been bumpy, but strong domestic demand and various attempts to revive the economy have changed the landscape. Today, the Indian textile industry holds 63% share in the global textiles and garments industry. Besides, it comes next to agriculture as one of the highest employment generating sectors in India.