India, EU Textile Industry Bodies Launch Dialogue Platform to Support FTA Rollout
The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) and the European Apparel and Textile Confederation (EURATEX) have launched a new bilateral platform, the EU-India Textile and Apparel Dialogue (TAD), to support the effective implementation of the proposed India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) for the textile and apparel sector.
The initiative was formally launched during Bharat Tex 2026 in New Delhi, where CITI and EURATEX signed the TAD mandate and held the first meeting of the joint monitoring committee. The platform is designed to create a structured dialogue between industry stakeholders from India and the European Union, focusing on improving market access, strengthening supply chains, enhancing industrial competitiveness, and promoting sustainable growth.
CITI Chairman Ashwin Chandran said the dialogue platform comes at a crucial time, following the conclusion of India-EU FTA negotiations in January 2026, with the trade agreement expected to be signed later this year. He noted that the platform will enable the textile and apparel industry to provide coordinated input on how the agreement can maximize benefits for businesses across both regions.
The European Union remains one of India’s most important export destinations for textiles and apparel. In 2025, exports to the EU reached US$7.6 billion, making it India’s second-largest export market for the sector. Industry stakeholders believe the upcoming FTA will improve India’s competitiveness by removing the tariff disadvantages that exporters have faced compared to countries with existing preferential trade access to the European market.