Parliament Question: Textile Exports from Kannur and Kasaragod Districts, Kerala

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TEXTILES RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-3998 ANSWERED ON- 27/03/2026 TEXTILE EXPORTS FROM KANNUR AND KASARAGOD DISTRICTS, KERALA 3998. SHRI SANDOSH KUMAR P: Will the Minister of TEXTILES be pleased to state: (a) the total value of textile and handloom exports from Kannur and Kasaragod districts of Kerala during the last five years, year-wise; (b) the major export destinations for textile products from these districts; (c) whether Government has provided assistance under schemes such as the National Handloom Development Programme, Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme or any export promotion schemes to textile units in Kannur and Kasaragod; (d) the details of textile clusters or export parks functioning in the said districts and the support extended thereto; and (e) the steps taken by Government to enhance global competitiveness of handloom and home textile products from north Kerala? ANSW ER THE MINISTER OF TEXTILES (SHRI GIRIRAJ SINGH) (a) & (b): Kannur’s textile & apparel including handicrafts exports stood at Rs. 185.3 crore in 2024-25 exhibiting a CAGR growth of 1.1% from 2021-22(Rs. 179.4 Crore). Kasaragod’s textile & apparel including handicrafts exports stood at Rs. 1.25 Crore in 2024-25 exhibiting a CAGR growth of 33.5% from 2021-22 (Rs. 0.53 crore). Kannur’s major export destinations of textile & apparel including Handicrafts products are United Arab Emirates (UAE), United States (USA), Japan, United Kingdom (UK), Saudi Arabia etc. Kasaragod’s major export destinations of textile & apparel including Handicrafts products are USA, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arab, Oman, Russia etc. (c) to (e): Under the National Handloom Development Programme, financial assistance is provided to eligible handloom agencies/workers for procurement of upgraded looms & accessories, solar lighting units, construction of workshed, skilling, product diversification & design innovation, technical and common infrastructure, publicity and brand development through India Handloom Brand (IHB), Handloom Mark (HLM) and GI tag, e-commerce facilities, marketing of handloom products in domestic/overseas markets, concessional loans under weavers’ MUDRA scheme and social security etc. across the country including Kannur and Kasaragod. Financial assistance of Rs.7.20 crore has been provided to 6 handloom clusters covering 1,330 beneficiaries in Kannur district during 2021-22 to 2025-26.The following steps have been taken by Government to promote & enhance global competitiveness of handloom in Kerala including north Kerala during 2021-22 to 2025-26: i. Financial assistance of Rs.16.73 crore has been provided to 15 handloom clusters. ii. 7 marketing events have been organized to facilitate and promote sales of handloom Products. iii. 1,168 handloom weavers provided Weavers Mudra Loan. iv. 244 lakh kg of yarn supplied to handloom organizations/weavers. The Government has implemented various schemes/initiatives to boost the Indian textile and apparel sector and enhance its competitiveness from India which would also boost exports, including from Kerala. The major schemes/initiatives include Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme focusing on MMF Fabric, MMF Apparel and Technical Textiles to boost large scale manufacturing and enhancing competitiveness; National Technical Textiles Mission focusing on Research Innovation & Development, Promotion and Market Development; SAMARTH – Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector with the objective providing demand driven, placement oriented, skilling program; Silk Samagra-2 for comprehensive development of sericulture value chain; National Handloom Development Program for end to end support for handloom sector. Ministry of Textiles is also implementing National Handicrafts Development Programme and Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme for promotion of handicrafts. Further, the Government has also implemented the Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) & Remissions of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) to boost the competitiveness of Indian Textile Industry. In addition, the Government has approved the Scheme for Export Promotion Mission (EPM) applicable for Pan-India for the period FY 2025–26 to FY 2030–31, aimed at strengthening India’s export competitiveness - particularly for MSMEs. The Mission is implemented through two integrated sub-schemes: Niryat Protsahan, which focuses on financial enablers and trade-finance support, and Niryat Disha, which addresses non-financial, market-access and ecosystem enablers. The government of India has also approved the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Exporters (CGSE) to provide additional credit support up to 20% of existing working capital limits to eligible borrowers, particularly MSMEs by enabling collateral-free credit access under CGSE. India has also signed 16 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and 6 Preferential Trade Agreement (PTAs) and also concluded the FTA negotiations with European Union (EU) and New Zealand. These partnerships are unlocking new opportunities across diverse sectors while also strengthening India’s integration into global value chains. ****