SRINAGAR: The textile and apparel sector in Jammu and Kashmir has provided employment to over 2.3 lakh people, while exports from the Union Territory crossed Rs 850 crore in the financial year 2025-26, the Ministry of Textiles informed the Rajya Sabha.
In a written reply to an unstarred question by MP Gulam Ali, Minister of State for Textiles Pabitra Margherita said the government has implemented several schemes to support the textile sector in Jammu and Kashmir, including the National Handloom Development Programme, National Handicrafts Development Programme, Silk Samagra-2, SAMARTH, Integrated Wool Development Programme and National Technical Textiles Mission.
The ministry said expenditure in the textile sector, including Jammu and Kashmir, stood at Rs 3,059.25 crore in 2023-24, Rs 2,998.46 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 5,540 crore in 2025-26.
The estimated workforce engaged in the textiles and apparel sector in Jammu and Kashmir increased from 1,96,602 in 2021-22 to 2,26,668 in 2022-23 and further to 2,31,305 in 2023-24, according to data based on the Annual Survey of Industries and Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises.
The ministry said textile and apparel exports from Jammu and Kashmir, including handicrafts, recorded steady growth over the last three years. Exports stood at Rs 734.6 crore in 2023-24, Rs 781.2 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 856.9 crore in 2025-26.
The government said various initiatives are aimed at strengthening handloom, handicraft, silk, wool and technical textile sectors by providing support for skill development, raw material supply, infrastructure creation and market access.
It added that schemes such as SAMARTH focus on skill development and placement-oriented training, while Silk Samagra-2 and the Integrated Wool Development Programme support sericulture and wool-based livelihoods.
