Kasturi Cotton gains traction as India puts traceability on the textile map

Nearly 2.1 lakh bales of Indian-grown cotton were certified as Kasturi Cotton Bharat in the cotton marketing season that ended on September 30, underscoring the growing importance of traceability in India’s textile value chain.

The adoption of Kasturi Cotton has accelerated sharply since its launch. Certified volumes rose from 47,100 bales in 2023-24 to 2.13 lakh bales in 2025-26, while more than 10 lakh bales have now been brought under the Kasturi Cotton Bharat blockchain, creating a technology-enabled trail from cotton to the final product.

The initiative is aimed at giving buyers greater confidence over the origin and quality of Indian cotton. Industry users say the blockchain-based certification is increasingly becoming relevant as international textile buyers, particularly in the U.S. and Europe, demand greater transparency and traceability across their supply chains.

The momentum is expected to strengthen further. Of an estimated 498 lakh bales of cotton production by 2031-32, around 132 lakh bales are projected to qualify as Kasturi Cotton. The initiative currently has 124 active registered users, including 33 textile mills.

For exporters, the proposition is already translating into commercial opportunities. B. Shanmugavadivel, Managing Director of SBT Apparels, said the company has so far procured 3,000 bales of long-staple Kasturi Cotton from the Cotton Corporation of India for manufacturing garments for export.

According to him, Kasturi Cotton offers better quality than regular cotton, while its traceability credentials are particularly valuable in overseas markets where buyers are increasingly seeking verifiable sourcing. Garments made from Kasturi Cotton, he said, are therefore receiving better acceptance.

Kulin Lalbhai, Vice Chairman of Arvind Limited, said traceability has become an important component of the global textile supply chain as buyers increasingly seek confidence in the products they source. The Kasturi Cotton initiative, launched in 2020, has helped make such traceability accessible across the industry.