Giriraj Singh Reaffirms Commitment to 'Kapas Kranti' on CCI's 56th Foundation Day; Emphasizes Boosting Farmers' Income
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Maharashtra): Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh reaffirmed the Central Government's commitment to making India's cotton sector more productive, competitive, and sustainable during the 56th Foundation Day celebrations of the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) held in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, on Saturday. He stated that the government is continuously working to increase farmers' income, improve cotton quality, boost productivity, and promote modern, technology-driven farming. Ministers from the Maharashtra government—Sanjay Shirsat, Sanjay Savkare, and Atul Save—along with senior officials from the Ministry of Textiles, scientists, researchers, industry representatives, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and a large number of cotton farmers participated in the event.
In his address, Giriraj Singh remarked that cotton is a vital cornerstone of India's rural economy, agricultural prosperity, and the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India). He highlighted that during the 2025-26 cotton season, the CCI successfully executed one of the largest Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement drives in its history. During this period, over 522 lakh quintals of seed cotton were procured through transactions involving approximately 24 lakh farmers, and a sum of ₹41,530 crore was transferred directly into the farmers' Aadhaar-linked bank accounts. He noted that the MSP for seed cotton has been increased by approximately 7 percent for the 2026-27 cotton season, ensuring better prices and income security for farmers.
Referring to the recently approved 'Cotton Productivity Mission – Kapas Kranti', the Minister stated that this five-year mission, with a budget of ₹5,659 crore, focuses on enhancing cotton productivity and quality, modernizing ginning and processing infrastructure, strengthening branding and traceability through 'Kasturi Cotton India', and promoting climate-resilient and sustainable farming practices. He stated that this initiative would play a pivotal role in establishing a "Farm to Fashion" identity for Indian cotton, aligning it with international quality standards.
On this occasion, the Minister launched the 'Kapas Darshan' bulletin, which will provide farmers with regular updates on weather, market trends, scientific farming practices, quality management, and government schemes. Cotton plucker machines, cotton stalk shredder machines, and contamination control kits were also distributed to farmers and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). During the event, four significant Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed with the aim of strengthening India's cotton ecosystem. These partnerships—involving CCI, ICAR-CIRCOT, GIZ, CITI, ICAC, MERAGO/GEOCLARA, TEXPROCIL, and Manjeet Cotton Pvt. Ltd.—focus on quality improvement, traceability, sustainable farming, and the promotion of premium Indian cotton.
Lalit Kumar Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director of CCI, stated that the Corporation has been safeguarding farmers' interests for the past 56 years through transparent, technology-driven, and farmer-centric initiatives. He affirmed that CCI would continue to work with full commitment to ensure better prices for farmers, promote the production of high-quality cotton, and realize the vision of 'Viksit Bharat @2047'.
read more :- Manjeet Cotton Joins Kasturi Mission
