This perspective seeks to unearth the crucial trends and patterns of manufacturing, employment and exports in the socio-economically critical Indian textile industry. The period of analysis is broadly from 2000–01 to 2015–16, 2017–18 and 2020–21. Using available empirical and literary evidence, the viewpoint tries to elicit the causes, consequences and future policy implications of the study for the sector. All in all, given the stagnant and even declining trends on manufacturing, employment and export fronts, it is suggested that the industry stakeholders ranging from textile firm owners to policymakers adopt suitable and structurally superior digital technologies of production such as Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and 3D while also balancing with the prevalent welfarist objectives of employment and equity. The sector is vital for many other sections (such as women) and sectors (such as environment), which makes it all the more imperative to have suitable policies and incentive structures in place that could ensure a high growth and sustainable textile development pattern in the coming future.

Indian textile industry, manufacturing, employment, environment, exports, women, digitalization

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