Andhra Pradesh secures ₹4,100 crore in textile investments at Bharat Tex 2026
Andhra Pradesh has secured textile investments worth up to ₹4,100 crore through two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed on the second day of the 'Bharat Tex 2026' event, held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The agreements were signed under the leadership of Commissioner of Handlooms and Textiles, K. Rekha Rani.
The first MoU aims to establish a sustainable textile recycling facility in Visakhapatnam, with a proposed investment of up to ₹4,000 crore. The second agreement is for setting up a garment manufacturing unit with an investment of ₹100 crore, which is expected to create around 3,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Meanwhile, the Lepakshi handicrafts stall was inaugurated on Tuesday by Union Minister for Textiles, Giriraj Singh. The stall highlights Andhra Pradesh's handloom heritage, handicrafts, textile capabilities, and investment potential. The Bharat Tex 2026 event, organised by the Union Ministry of Textiles, will run until July 17.
Rajya Sabha member V. Vijayendra Prasad, who visited the Andhra Pradesh Pavilion, noted the state's handloom sector has significant potential in international markets. He recommended adopting emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) to help master weavers connect directly with global buyers. He highlighted the growing demand for authentic handmade and culturally rooted products among the Indian diaspora and overseas consumers, especially in the United States, positioning Andhra Pradesh as a potential global sourcing hub for handloom and textiles.
Later, Pasupuleti Hari Prasad, Chairman of the Lepakshi Handicrafts Development Corporation, toured the pavilion and praised the Department of Handlooms and Textiles for showcasing both traditional handloom legacy and modern textile industry. He said the state government, led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, is committed to accelerating growth in the textile and handloom sectors through investor-friendly policies and robust infrastructure.
The Andhra Pradesh Pavilion, set up in hall number 9, features a wide range of handloom, textile, apparel, and garment products, along with GI-tagged products and One District One Product (ODOP) items from leading organisations and textile parks, including Guntur Textile Park, Tarakeswara Textile Park, Harish Fashions, APCO, and Magic Weaves.
Representatives of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) visited the pavilion and expressed interest in collaborating with the department to conduct export awareness and capacity-building programmes for textile MSMEs, aiming to strengthen export competitiveness.
Officials said Andhra Pradesh's participation at Bharat Tex 2026 is expected to attract fresh investments, enhance export linkages, and expand global market access for the state's textile ecosystem. Andhra Pradesh is one of India's leading textile-producing states, ranking second in silk production, sixth in cotton production, and seventh in jute production. The state has over 15,000 textile MSMEs, more than 140 large textile units, around 35,000 power looms, and textile exports valued at approximately USD 444 million.
