Fabric Production: How India Makes Textiles and Why It Matters

When you think of fabric production, the process of turning fibers into cloth through spinning, weaving, or knitting. Also known as textile manufacturing, it’s one of the oldest and most vital industries in India, supporting millions of jobs and feeding global fashion chains. This isn’t just about looms and dye vats—it’s about speed, scale, and survival. While big factories churn out millions of meters a day, small workshops still hand-weave silk in villages, proving that fabric production isn’t one-size-fits-all.

India’s fabric production isn’t centered in one place—it’s spread across hubs that each specialize. Surat, the textile heartland of India, producing over 70% of the country’s synthetic fabrics. Also known as India’s fabric capital, it runs on machines that never sleep, turning petrochemical pellets into polyester and nylon at prices no one else can match. Meanwhile, Arvind Limited, India’s top garment exporter, shipping over $1.8 billion in clothing yearly. Also known as a major textile exporter, it turns raw fabric into branded jeans, shirts, and uniforms for markets from the U.S. to Europe. These aren’t just companies—they’re engines of export, employment, and economy.

Fabric production here doesn’t just mean big factories. It includes the quiet corner workshop where a weaver spends days making a single handloom sari. It’s the family-run dye unit in Tiruppur using less water than a decade ago. It’s the startup in Ludhiana making eco-friendly fabrics with recycled plastic bottles. This is small scale manufacturing at its most real—limited resources, high skill, and deep local roots. These makers don’t compete with Surat’s giants; they fill the gaps they ignore: custom orders, slow fashion, heritage designs, and ethical labels.

What’s driving all of this? Demand for cheap clothes, yes—but also growing pressure to make fabric cleaner, fairer, and smarter. India’s textile industry is catching up on automation, water recycling, and digital design tools. But the soul of fabric production? That still lives in the hands of the person who threads the loom, ties the knot, or folds the final bolt. Whether you’re buying a $5 t-shirt or a $500 handwoven shawl, you’re touching a chain that starts in a village, runs through a city, and ends on a shelf halfway around the world.

Below, you’ll find real stories from inside this world: how Surat dominates the market, who the biggest exporters are, what small makers can do with $1,000, and why local production still matters more than ever.