India, Oct. 31 -- The Central Government has extended the existing customs duty exemption on cotton imports until December 31, 2026, providing additional relief to India's textile and apparel industry. The exemption, which was earlier scheduled to remain in force until October 31, has been extended by two months to augment domestic cotton availability and address the raw material requirements of manufacturers.

According to the Ministry of Textiles, the extension is intended to address specialised cotton requirements and encourage greater value addition across the textile and apparel value chain. The government said the measure would provide manufacturers with greater flexibility in sourcing raw materials, help ease input cost pressures a...