-The Hindu Exports rose 15.5% in May while imports surged 56.1% to stay above $60 bn for third month India’s merchandise trade deficit widened to a monthly record of $23.33 billion in May, as exports grew 15.5% to $37.3 billion while imports jumped 56.1% to $60.62 billion, as per preliminary data from the Commerce and Industry Ministry. The previous highest monthly trade deficit was last November’s $22.91 billion. Goods exports shrank 7.2% from...

-Livemint.com Cotton prices have touched ₹90,000 per candy. Prices of some  varieties of have  touched ₹100,000 per candy The Union government may impose a temporary ban on cotton exports if cotton prices continue to surge, textiles secretary Upendra Prasad Singh told Mint. The statement comes at a time when the Indian Textile Industry is reeling under a spike in cotton and yarn prices, impacting production and exports. Cotton prices have doubled in barely...

-The Hindu Ensuring government support for financial incentives, upgrading technologies and reskilling labour are key challenges South Asia became a major player in the global textiles and clothing market with the onset of the third wave of global production. Bangladesh joined the league in the 1980s, owing to the outbreak of the civil war in Sri Lanka. Supportive industrial policy was an instrumental factor in the 1990s, with zero duty on raw...

-The Hindu Business Line The Textile Industry’s vociferous demands will hit cotton farmers, who are facing the brunt of rising costs The recent rise in the price of cotton yarn seems to have hit the textile manufacturers hard, so, a large section of participants involved in value chain products of cotton has called on the government to take measures to arrest the price rise. While demanding higher taxes on cotton exports, they have...

-The Hindu Policy efforts to formalise the economy will have limited results as the bulk of informal units are petty producers Since 2016, the Government has made several efforts to formalise the economy. Currency demonetisation, introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), digitalisation of financial transactions and enrolment of informal sector workers on numerous government Internet portals are all meant to encourage the formalisation of the economy. But why the impetus...