New Delhi, June 1 -- The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) has welcomed the government's decision to temporarily remove the 11 percent import duty on cotton from June 1 to October 31, 2026.

The industry body stated that the move will improve the global competitiveness of India's textile and apparel sector, which is largely driven by MSMEs.

CITI said it had been advocating duty relief along with other stakeholders after the import duty on cotton was reimposed on January 1, 2026, following a temporary suspension between August and December 2025.

Ashwin Chandran, Chairman, CITI said the duty had become a significant challenge for Indian textile and apparel exporters at a time of global uncertainty, especially as competing As...