Tex-RAMPS Approved: Govt’s ₹305 Cr “R&D Shot” to Future-Proof India’s Textile Sector
By Santosh Sinha | MSME & Textiles Desk Date: November 29, 2025
New Delhi: The Ministry of Textiles has officially cleared the Tex-RAMPS (Textiles Focused Research, Assessment, Monitoring, Planning and Start-up) scheme, a decisive ₹305 Crore intervention aimed at modernizing India’s second-largest employment generator.
Approved for the period FY 2025-26 to FY 2030-31, this Central Sector Scheme is not just another subsidy vehicle. It is a strategic “R&D Shot” designed to pivot the Indian textile industry from low-value commodity exports to high-value Technical Textiles and Sustainable Fabrics.
With global markets like the EU enforcing strict ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) norms under the “Green Deal,” Tex-RAMPS is the government’s answer to “future-proofing” India’s apparel exports.
Why Tex-RAMPS? Why Now?
For decades, India has dominated the global cotton trade but lagged in value-added segments. While competitors like Vietnam and Bangladesh adopted synthetic blends and automated looms, India’s R&D spend in textiles remained negligible.
Tex-RAMPS addresses this specific gap. The scheme’s primary mandate is to fund “Innovation Infrastructure” rather than just machinery.
“We are moving from a ‘Volume Game’ to a ‘Value Game’. Tex-RAMPS will fund the labs that invent the next generation of bio-degradable fabrics and fire-resistant technical textiles, ensuring India doesn’t just make clothes, but engineers them,” stated Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh during the announcement.
The 5 Pillars of Tex-RAMPS
The ₹305 Crore outlay is structured around five critical verticals, creating a comprehensive ecosystem for modernization:
- Research & Innovation: Direct funding for R&D projects in Smart Textiles (wearables), Agro-textiles, and Protective Gear. This aligns with the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM).
- Start-up & Innovation Support: For the first time, a textile scheme explicitly targets the startup ecosystem. Tex-RAMPS will fund incubators and organize hackathons to identify startups building AI-led quality control systems or circular economy solutions (textile waste recycling).
- Data & Analytics (ITSS): The scheme will operationalize the Integrated Textiles Statistical System (ITSS). This real-time data platform will track raw material availability, labor movements, and export orders, replacing the outdated annual survey methods that often led to policy lag.
- The “India Size” Project: A portion of the funds is allocated to complete and commercialize the “India Size” study. This initiative aims to create a standard Indian sizing chart (replacing the US/UK charts currently used), which is expected to reduce returns in domestic e-commerce by 20%.
- Capacity Building: Strengthening state-level planning units to ensure that textile parks in Tier-2/3 cities (like Warangal or Lucknow) have the technical know-how to comply with global quality standards.
The “Green” Imperative
The timing of Tex-RAMPS is critical. By 2026, the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will likely impact textile imports.
Indian exporters who cannot prove the “sustainability” of their supply chain risk losing market share. Tex-RAMPS provides the capital for MSMEs to conduct Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and adopt traceability tools, ensuring their products remain export-compliant in a “Green First” world.
Impact on MSMEs
For the average textile MSME in Tirupur or Surat, Tex-RAMPS offers a new lifeline. Instead of struggling to fund R&D from their own balance sheets, they can now tap into government-backed incubators to access:
- Testing Labs: For checking fabric durability and biodegradability.
- Process Innovation: Low-water dyeing technologies developed by funded startups.
The Road Ahead
As India chases the target of $100 Billion in textile exports by 2030, Tex-RAMPS acts as the intellectual foundation. It signals to global buyers that “Made in India” is shifting from “Cheap Cotton” to “Smart, Sustainable, and Technical.”