T‑Shirt and Apparel Market in India: Key Statistics

Last updated: 14 October 2026. Compiled by the ZOJO team from government data, company annual reports and published industry research. Every number below links to the page or PDF it came from, and we opened each one to check the figure.

India exported about 1 billion T-shirts worth US$2.37 billion in FY2025-26, and the average urban Indian spends Rs 396 a month on clothing, bedding and footwear. Below are 80+ statistics on India's T-shirt and apparel market: size, household spend, exports, online share, GST and prices, the big players, jobs and trends. Use any of them with a link back to this page.

Key takeaways

• India exported about 1 billion T-shirts, singlets and vests worth US$2.37 billion in FY2025-26. (DGCI&S trade data) Source

• Cotton T-shirts were US$1.78 billion, about three-quarters of those exports. (DGCI&S trade data) Source

• The US bought US$656 million of Indian T-shirts in FY2025-26, 12.8% less than a year earlier, and is still the largest buyer. (DGCI&S trade data) Source

• India imported only US$141 million of T-shirts in the same year. (DGCI&S trade data) Source

• An urban Indian spends Rs 396 a month on clothing, bedding and footwear; a rural Indian spends Rs 273. (MoSPI) Source

• Clothing and bedding's share of urban budgets fell from 6.05% (1999-2000) to 4.80% (2023-24). (MoSPI) Source

• India's domestic textile and apparel market is US$157 billion (FY2025-26), and apparel is about 75% of it. (Page Industries Ltd, Annual Report 2025-26) Source

• About 19% of fashion is bought online in India, against about 37% for electronics. (Redseer Strategy Consultants) Source

• Apparel up to Rs 2,500 a piece pays 5% GST since 22 Sep 2025; knitted apparel above that moved from 12% to 18%. (PIB / Ministry of Textiles) Source

• Clothing and footwear inflation was 3.93% in September 2026, below headline CPI of 5.54%. (MoSPI) Source

• 45-50% of trend-first fashion sells at entry or mass prices, typically under Rs 700-750 an item. (Bain & Company with Flipkart, How India Shops Online 2025) Source

• Zudio added 208 stores in India in one year and had 963 stores by 31 March 2026. (Trent Ltd, Integrated Annual Report 2025-26) Source

• 13.39 lakh people work in India's 9,759 apparel factories, 6.83% of all factory jobs. (MoSPI) Source

• India is the world's 6th largest textile and apparel exporter, with 4.1% of global trade. (PIB / Ministry of Textiles) Source

How big is the T-shirt and apparel market in India?

There is no official count of India's domestic T-shirt market, so the best numbers cover apparel as a whole. Wazir puts India's domestic textile and apparel market at US$157 billion in FY2025-26, with apparel about 75% of it, and ABFRL puts domestic apparel retail at about Rs 10 lakh crore. These are company and consultancy estimates, and their definitions differ, which is why the totals below don't match.

• India's textile and apparel market is estimated at US$194 billion. (Page Industries Ltd, Annual Report 2025-26, FY2025-26) Source
• The domestic textile and apparel market reached US$157 billion, up from US$106 billion in 2019-20 (about 7% a year). (Page Industries Ltd, Annual Report 2025-26, FY2025-26) Source
• Apparel makes up about 75% of India's domestic textile and apparel market. (Page Industries Ltd, Annual Report 2025-26, FY2025-26) Source
• India's domestic apparel retail market is estimated at about Rs 10 lakh crore. (Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd, Integrated Annual Report FY2025-26, FY2025-26) Source
• India's apparel retail market is projected to pass Rs 14 lakh crore by FY2029-30, growing about 9% a year. (Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd, Integrated Annual Report FY2025-26, FY2029-30) Source
• India's domestic textile market grew from about Rs 8.4 lakh crore to an estimated Rs 13 lakh crore in five years. (PIB, five years to 2024-25) Source
• India's garment industry produces about 22,000 million (22 billion) pieces a year. (PIB / Ministry of Commerce, 2025 (stated)) Source

How much does an Indian household spend on clothing?

An urban Indian spends Rs 396 a month and a rural Indian Rs 273 a month on clothing, bedding and footwear, according to MoSPI's Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2023-24. Clothing's share of the urban budget has fallen over 25 years even as the rupee amount has grown.

• Per capita textile consumption doubled from about Rs 3,000 in 2014-15 to over Rs 6,000 in 2024-25. (PIB, FY2024-25) Source
• The government projects per capita textile consumption to reach Rs 12,000 by 2030. (PIB, 2030) Source
• An average rural Indian spends Rs 273 a month on clothing, bedding and footwear (6.63% of spending). (MoSPI, Aug 2023-Jul 2024) Source
• An average urban Indian spends Rs 396 a month on clothing, bedding and footwear (5.66% of spending). (MoSPI, Aug 2023-Jul 2024) Source
• Clothing and bedding alone (excluding tailoring and footwear) is Rs 233.73 per person a month in rural India. (MoSPI, Aug 2023-Jul 2024) Source
• Clothing and bedding alone is Rs 335.95 per person a month in urban India. (MoSPI, Aug 2023-Jul 2024) Source
• The share of rural budgets going to clothing and bedding rose from 5.24% in 2022-23 to 5.67% in 2023-24. (MoSPI, 2023-24) Source
• Clothing and bedding's share of urban budgets fell from 6.05% in 1999-2000 to 4.80% in 2023-24. (MoSPI, 1999-2000 to 2023-24) Source

How many T-shirts does India export, and who buys them?

India exported about 1 billion T-shirts, singlets and vests (HS code 6109) worth US$2.37 billion in FY2025-26. The US is still the largest buyer at US$656 million, but that fell 12.8% in the year. These figures come from the commerce ministry's Export Import Data Bank: choose year 2025-2026 and HS 6109 at the 4-digit level.

• India exported US$2.37 billion of T-shirts, singlets and vests (HS 6109). (DGCI&S trade data, FY2025-26) Source
• In rupees, T-shirt exports were Rs 20,923 crore, up 4.03%. (DGCI&S trade data, FY2025-26) Source
• India shipped about 1 billion T-shirts, singlets and vests abroad. (DGCI&S trade data, FY2025-26) Source
• Cotton T-shirts were US$1.78 billion, about three-quarters of T-shirt exports. (DGCI&S trade data, FY2025-26) Source
• The US bought US$656 million of Indian T-shirts, down 12.8% (still the largest buyer, about 28% of the total). (DGCI&S trade data, FY2025-26) Source
• The UAE bought US$253 million of Indian T-shirts, up 7.65%. (DGCI&S trade data, FY2025-26) Source
• T-shirt exports to France grew 24.6% to US$112 million. (DGCI&S trade data, FY2025-26) Source
• India imported only US$141 million of T-shirts, singlets and vests. (DGCI&S trade data, FY2025-26) Source
• Knitted apparel (HS chapter 61) exports were US$7.64 billion. (DGCI&S trade data, FY2025-26) Source
• Woven apparel (HS chapter 62) exports were US$8.17 billion. (DGCI&S trade data, FY2025-26) Source

Shares like "about three-quarters" and "about 28%" are our own arithmetic on the official figures (US$1.78 billion and US$656 million out of US$2.37 billion).

How big are India's textile and apparel exports?

Textile and apparel exports, including handicrafts, were US$37.8 billion in FY2024-25, up 5%, with a trade surplus of US$28.2 billion. Ready-made garments are the largest single export segment.

• Textile and apparel exports (incl. handicrafts) reached US$37.8 billion, up 5%. (PIB / Ministry of Textiles, FY2024-25) Source
• India ran a textile and apparel trade surplus of US$28.2 billion. (PIB / Ministry of Textiles, FY2024-25) Source
• Textile exports were Rs 3,16,335 crore, up 2.1%. (PIB / Ministry of Textiles, FY2025-26) Source
• Ready-made garment exports were Rs 1,39,350 crore, up 2.9%, the largest export segment. (PIB / Ministry of Textiles, FY2025-26) Source
• Calendar-year 2025 textile and apparel exports held at US$37.54 billion. (PIB / Ministry of Textiles, Jan-Dec 2025) Source
• FY2024-25 exports (US$37.75 billion) were still about 15% below the FY2021-22 peak of US$44.4 billion. (PIB / Ministry of Textiles, FY2021-22) Source
• The USA, EU and UK took 55% of India's textile and apparel exports. (PIB / Ministry of Textiles, FY2024-25) Source
• Apparel made up 42% of India's textile export basket. (PIB / Ministry of Commerce, FY2023-24) Source
• Textiles and apparel were 8.63% of India's total exports. (PIB / Ministry of Textiles, 2024) Source
• The government has set a Vision 2030 target of US$100 billion in textile exports. (PIB / Ministry of Textiles, 2030) Source
• Exports from the Tirupur, Karur, Erode, Coimbatore and Salem clusters grew 11.4%. (PIB / Ministry of Textiles, Apr-Sep 2025) Source

How much clothing do Indians buy online?

About 19% of fashion in India is bought online, against about 37% of electronics (Redseer, FY2025). India has 290-300 million online shoppers, and Gen Z is 40-45% of them (Bain, 2025).

• Fashion e-commerce penetration in India is about 19% (vs about 37% for electronics). (Redseer Strategy Consultants, FY2025) Source
• India's e-commerce market is about Rs 6 trillion (about US$70 billion) in GMV. (Redseer Strategy Consultants, FY2025) Source
• India's e-retail GMV reached US$65-66 billion in 2025. (Bain & Company with Flipkart, How India Shops Online 2026, 2025) Source
• India has 290-300 million online shoppers. (Bain & Company with Flipkart, How India Shops Online 2026, 2025) Source
• Gen Z makes up 40-45% of India's online shoppers. (Bain & Company with Flipkart, How India Shops Online 2026, 2025) Source
• Tier 2+ cities contributed about half of incremental e-retail orders. (Bain & Company with Flipkart, How India Shops Online 2026, 2025) Source
• Only about 1% of lifestyle (apparel, footwear, accessories) e-retail GMV goes through quick commerce. (Bain & Company with Flipkart, How India Shops Online 2026, 2025) Source

What GST applies to T-shirts, what price bands sell, and how fast are prices rising?

A T-shirt priced up to Rs 2,500 pays 5% GST since 22 September 2025, up from a Rs 1,000 threshold. Knitted apparel above Rs 2,500 now pays 18%. Clothing prices are rising more slowly than prices overall: 3.93% for clothing and footwear in September 2026 against 5.54% for the CPI.

• Clothing and footwear carry a 6.38% weight in India's new CPI basket (2024=100), vs 6.53% in the 2012 series. (MoSPI, CPI base 2024) Source
• Clothing and footwear inflation was 3.93% year on year in September 2026, below headline CPI of 5.54%. (MoSPI, September 2026) Source
• Clothing prices alone (excluding footwear) rose 4.25% year on year in September 2026. (MoSPI, September 2026) Source
• Apparel priced up to Rs 2,500 a piece is taxed at 5% GST since 22 Sep 2025 (threshold raised from Rs 1,000). (PIB / Ministry of Textiles, from 22 Sep 2025) Source
• GST on knitted apparel above Rs 2,500 a piece went up from 12% to 18%. (PIB / Ministry of Finance, from 22 Sep 2025) Source
• 45-50% of trend-first fashion GMV sells at entry or mass prices, typically under Rs 700-750 an item. (Bain & Company with Flipkart, How India Shops Online 2025, 2024) Source
• The September 2025 GST cut lowered lifestyle product prices by about 6-7%. (Bain & Company with Flipkart, How India Shops Online 2026, 2025) Source

Who are the biggest apparel and T-shirt players in India?

Value fashion chains and online marketplaces are growing fastest. Zudio added 208 stores in a year, Page Industries (Jockey) made over 229 million units, and Meesho held 21-23% of online fashion GMV, according to their own filings.

• Zudio (Trent) had 963 stores, including 6 in the UAE. (Trent Ltd, Integrated Annual Report 2025-26, 31 Mar 2026) Source
• Zudio added 208 stores in India in one year. (Trent Ltd, Integrated Annual Report 2025-26, FY2025-26) Source
• Trent's revenue from operations was Rs 19,701 crore. (Trent Ltd, Integrated Annual Report 2025-26, FY2025-26) Source
• Page Industries (Jockey) revenue was Rs 5,247 crore, up 6.3%. (Page Industries Ltd, Annual Report 2025-26, FY2025-26) Source
• Jockey sells in 2,731 cities and towns through 1,579 exclusive brand stores. (Page Industries Ltd, Annual Report 2025-26, 31 Mar 2026) Source
• Page Industries produced over 229 million units across Jockey and Speedo. (Page Industries Ltd, Annual Report 2025-26, FY2025-26) Source
• Bewakoof net revenue was Rs 240+ crore, up 41%, from 36 stores. (Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd, Integrated Annual Report FY2025-26, FY2025-26) Source
• ABFRL's digital-first TMRW brands (Bewakoof, Wrogn, TIGC, Nobero and others) earned Rs 876 crore, up 34%. (Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd, Integrated Annual Report FY2025-26, FY2025-26) Source
• Meesho held a 21-23% GMV share of India's online fashion market. (Meesho Ltd, Updated Draft Red Herring Prospectus filed with SEBI, 12 months to 30 Jun 2025) Source

Who makes India's clothes, and how many people work in it?

India's 9,759 registered apparel factories employ 13.39 lakh people, 6.83% of all factory jobs (Annual Survey of Industries 2023-24). The wider textile sector employs about 5.6 crore people directly, according to the Textiles Minister. An April 2025 commerce ministry note gives a lower figure of over 4.5 crore, so the number depends on the source and year.

• India has 9,759 wearing-apparel factories in the formal factory sector. (MoSPI, 2023-24) Source
• Apparel factories engage 13.39 lakh people, 6.83% of all factory employment (5th largest employer). (MoSPI, 2023-24) Source
• Apparel factories produced output worth Rs 2.21 lakh crore. (MoSPI, 2023-24) Source
• Apparel factories added Rs 57,875 crore of gross value, 2.35% of factory-sector GVA. (MoSPI, 2023-24) Source
• The textile sector directly employs about 5.6 crore people, second only to agriculture. (PIB, end of 2023-24) Source
• India imported a record 61 lakh sewing machines. (PIB, FY2024-25) Source
• Nearly 80% of the textile industry's capacity sits in MSME clusters. (PIB / Ministry of Commerce, 2025 (stated)) Source
• Cotton supports nearly 6 million farmers and 40-50 million people across the value chain. (PIB / Ministry of Textiles, 2025 (stated)) Source
• Seven PM MITRA textile parks have an outlay of Rs 4,445 crore up to 2027-28. (PIB / Ministry of Textiles, to 2027-28) Source

What trends are shaping Indian fashion in 2025-26?

Trend-first fashion is the fastest-growing part of the market, expected to grow from US$2-2.5 billion in 2024 to US$8-10 billion by 2028 (Bain). Most of it is cheap, women's wear and found online.

• Trend-first fashion GMV in India is expected to grow from US$2-2.5 billion (2024) to US$8-10 billion by 2028. (Bain & Company with Flipkart, How India Shops Online 2025, 2028) Source
• 35-40% of trend-first fashion is bought online today, rising to 50-55% by 2028. (Bain & Company with Flipkart, How India Shops Online 2025, 2024) Source
• Women's apparel is 70-80% of trend-first fashion GMV. (Bain & Company with Flipkart, How India Shops Online 2025, 2024) Source
• Gen Z shoppers spend three times more on insurgent fashion brands than older shoppers. (Bain & Company with Flipkart, How India Shops Online 2025, 2024) Source
• 70% of Gen Z shoppers discover brands online. (Bain & Company with Flipkart, How India Shops Online 2025, 2024) Source

How does India compare with the rest of the world?

India is the world's 6th largest exporter of textiles and apparel, with 4.1% of global trade, behind China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Germany and Italy.

• India is the world's 6th largest exporter of textiles and apparel, with 4.1% of global trade. (PIB / Ministry of Textiles, 2024) Source
• China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Germany and Italy are the top 5 textile exporters, ahead of India. (PIB / Ministry of Textiles, 2025 (stated)) Source
• India exports textiles to more than 220 countries. (PIB / Ministry of Textiles, 2025 (stated)) Source
• The global apparel market is estimated at US$1.9 trillion in 2025, heading to US$2.3 trillion by 2030. (Page Industries Ltd, Annual Report 2025-26, 2025) Source

What challenges does the Indian apparel market face?

Exports to the US are falling, and most of the retail market is still unbranded and unorganised. Regional and unbranded products are more than 75% of Indian retail (Redseer).

• Textile and apparel exports to the USA fell to US$5.22 billion in Apr-Sep 2025 from US$5.36 billion a year earlier. (PIB / Ministry of Textiles, Apr-Sep 2025) Source
• Regional brands and unbranded products make up more than 75% of India's retail market. (Redseer Strategy Consultants, FY2025) Source
• Unorganised retail accounts for almost 79% of India's retail market. (Redseer Strategy Consultants, FY2025) Source
• India's total retail market was about Rs 83 trillion (US$978 billion). (Redseer Strategy Consultants, FY2025) Source

What this page can't tell you

We found no primary source for the size of India's oversized, streetwear or print-on-demand T-shirt market, and no current official figure for the domestic T-shirt market alone. The numbers you see quoted for those come from paywalled reports or from blogs that don't name a source, so we left them out. If you know of an official or audited figure, write to hello@zojoofficial.com and we'll add it.

Methodology and sources

We only used primary sources: government releases and surveys (MoSPI, the Ministry of Textiles, the Ministry of Commerce and DGCI&S trade data, the GST Council via PIB), company annual reports and SEBI filings, and published consultancy reports (Bain with Flipkart, Redseer, Wazir), which we label as estimates. We traced every number back to the organisation that produced it and did not copy figures from other statistics roundups. Each line gives the publisher, the period the number covers, and a link. We check the links every month and swap in new numbers as reports come out.

How to cite this page

ZOJO, "T-Shirt and Apparel Market in India: Key Statistics", updated 14 October 2026, https://zojoofficial.com/blog/t-shirt-market-india-statistics

Please cite the original publisher for the number and link to this page as where you found it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the size of the T-shirt market in India?

There is no official figure for the domestic T-shirt market alone. The nearest numbers are for all apparel: Wazir estimates the domestic textile and apparel market at US$157 billion in FY2025-26, about 75% of it apparel, and ABFRL estimates domestic apparel retail at about Rs 10 lakh crore. On exports, India shipped US$2.37 billion of T-shirts in FY2025-26 (DGCI&S).

How much GST is charged on a T-shirt in India?

5% if the T-shirt costs up to Rs 2,500 a piece, and 18% for knitted apparel above that, since 22 September 2025 (GST Council, 56th meeting).

Which country buys the most T-shirts from India?

The United States: US$656 million in FY2025-26, about 28% of India's T-shirt exports, though that was down 12.8% on the year. The UAE was next at US$253 million.

How much does an average Indian spend on clothes?

Rs 396 a month in cities and Rs 273 a month in villages on clothing, bedding and footwear, according to MoSPI's household consumption survey for 2023-24.

We're a small Indian T-shirt brand, and we built this page because we couldn't find these numbers in one place. If you're shopping rather than researching, see our oversized tees, terry oversized T-shirts or all T-shirts, or read how print-on-demand T-shirts work.