India-Italy Textile Ties Put Fashion Manufacturing in Focus

22 October 2026: Italy’s Ambassador to India, Antonio Enrico Bartoli, has been promoting stronger industrial and commercial cooperation between the two countries. Italy regards India not merely as a growing consumer market but also as a strategic destination for manufacturing, innovation and long-term investment. Fashion and design are among the important areas of bilateral cooperation.

India already possesses an extensive textile and apparel manufacturing ecosystem, covering spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing, processing, garment production and exports. However, strengthening its position in global fashion supply chains will require greater emphasis on quality, productivity, advanced technologies, sustainable manufacturing and design-led product development.

India-Italy textile ties gained further evidence of industrial demand when ACIMIT reported in Milan on 1 July 2026 that India became Italy’s largest textile machinery export market in 2025. Sales reached EUR 176 million, up 28% over 2024, underlining the commercial basis for cooperation in manufacturing technology.

ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, presented final sector figures based on ISTAT data. India’s growth contrasted with an 8% fall in the industry’s total exports and a 9% decline in Italian textile-machinery production during 2025.

These figures cover textile machinery, not fashion manufacturing alone. They demonstrate equipment purchases rather than completed investment in garment factories or confirmed growth in premium apparel exports. ACIMIT’s machinery categories include spinning, weaving, knitting and finishing; its headline figure does not identify Indian spending on printing equipment specifically.

The technology focus extends to digital printing. Screen Print India’s coverage of Durst Como’s textile-printing hub describes a project centred on inkjet development and applied research. Its planned work also covers software and industrial printing solutions, illustrating a technology-development route distinct from buying production equipment.

Where textile printers fit

The expanding commercial relationship also presents opportunities for Indian textile printers, garment decorators and manufacturers of fashion accessories. Advanced screen printing, digital textile printing, embroidery, heat transfers, speciality coatings and value-added embellishments can help manufacturers develop differentiated products for domestic and international fashion brands.

Skills and resource use matter

ACIMIT identifies energy-efficient machinery, automation and technical skills as priorities for its industry. For Indian manufacturers evaluating Italian equipment, that makes operator training and measurable resource use sensible parts of the purchasing decision.

Sustainability will remain another important factor in strengthening India’s competitiveness. International fashion brands increasingly emphasise environmentally responsible production, traceability, efficient resource utilisation and circular manufacturing practices.

Closer India-Italy cooperation could therefore help Indian manufacturers move beyond volume-based production towards higher-value fashion manufacturing, stronger global partnerships and improved export competitiveness.