{"id":367879,"date":"2026-07-21T15:46:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T10:16:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=367879"},"modified":"2026-07-21T15:46:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T10:16:15","slug":"indias-cotton-sector-white-gold-significance-challenges-explained-pointwise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/indias-cotton-sector-white-gold-significance-challenges-explained-pointwise\/","title":{"rendered":"India&#8217;s Cotton Sector (White Gold) &#8211; Significance &#038; Challenges &#8211; Explained Pointwise"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-367895\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cotton_sector_title_card.png?resize=750%2C445&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"India's cotton sector \" width=\"750\" height=\"445\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cotton_sector_title_card-scaled.png?resize=1024%2C608&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cotton_sector_title_card-scaled.png?resize=300%2C178&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cotton_sector_title_card-scaled.png?resize=768%2C456&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cotton_sector_title_card-scaled.png?resize=1536%2C913&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cotton_sector_title_card-scaled.png?resize=2048%2C1217&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cotton_sector_title_card-scaled.png?resize=1568%2C932&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cotton_sector_title_card-scaled.png?w=2250&amp;ssl=1 2250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Cotton is one of India&#8217;s most important cash crops and contributes about 23% of global fibre production. It supports nearly <strong>6 million farmers<\/strong> and provides employment to around <strong>40\u201350 million people<\/strong> in cultivation, processing, textiles, and trade. Often called <strong>&#8220;White Gold,&#8221;<\/strong> cotton is a major source of export earnings.<br \/>\nIndia&#8217;s cotton sector is characterized by large-scale cultivation, rich cotton diversity, and a strong textile industry. Government initiatives such as MSP procurement, the Mission for Cotton Productivity, and Kasturi Cotton Bharat are helping improve productivity, quality, and global competitiveness.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; text-align: center;\"><strong>Table of Content<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><a href=\"#h1\">What are the key dimensions of India&#8217;s Cotton Sector?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#h2\">What is the significance of Cotton Sector for India?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#h3\">What are the major challenges confronting India&#8217;s Cotton Sector?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#h4\">What initiatives has the government undertaken to boost the Cotton Sector?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#h5\">What should be the way forward?<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 class=\"blue-h2-box\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"h1\"><\/a>What are the key dimensions of India&#8217;s Cotton Sector?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Cotton is one of the most important commercial crops cultivated in India.<\/li>\n<li>It accounts for around\u00a0<strong>23% <\/strong>of global fibre production. The crop supports the livelihoods of around\u00a0<strong>6 million<\/strong>\u00a0cotton farmers. It also sustains employment for another\u00a0<strong>40-50 million<\/strong>\u00a0people engaged in related activities such as cotton processing and trade.<\/li>\n<li>Beyond clothing, cotton plays a vital role in earning foreign exchange through exports of fibre, yarn, fabrics and garments.<\/li>\n<li>Due to its economic importance in India, it is also termed as\u00a0<strong>\u201cWhite-Gold\u201d<em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<li>India is the only country that cultivates all four recognized cotton species. These include:\n<ol>\n<li><strong>G. Arboreum<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>G. Herbaceum<\/strong>\u00a0(commonly referred to as <strong>Asian cotton<\/strong>)<\/li>\n<li><strong>G. Barbadense<\/strong>\u00a0(known as <strong>Egyptian cotton<\/strong>)<\/li>\n<li><strong>G. Hirsutum<\/strong>\u00a0(known as <strong>American upland cotton<\/strong>) &#8211; it\u00a0accounts for nearly\u00a0<strong>90%<\/strong> of hybrid cotton production in India. All <strong>Bt cotton<\/strong> hybrids currently cultivated in the country belong to this species.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li>In addition to botanical diversity, cotton in India is also classified by staple length. This length determines fibre quality and end use. The country produces the full range of staple categories:<br \/>\n<table style=\"width: 59.9764%; border-collapse: collapse; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #f1f5c1;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 27.3482%;\"><strong>Staple Categories<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.6509%;\"><strong>Staple Length (in mm)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 27.3482%;\">Short Staple<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.6509%;\">20 and below<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 27.3482%;\">Medium Staple<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.6509%;\">20.5 to 24.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 27.3482%;\">Medium Long Staple<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.6509%;\">25.0 to 27.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 27.3482%;\">Long Staple<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.6509%;\">27.5 to 32.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 27.3482%;\">Extra-Long Staple<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.6509%;\">32.5 and above<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cotton cultivation regions in India:<\/strong>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_367883\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-367883\" style=\"width: 393px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-367883\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-21-125837.png?resize=393%2C372&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Cotton sector \" width=\"393\" height=\"372\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-21-125837.png?w=393&amp;ssl=1 393w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-21-125837.png?resize=300%2C284&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 393px) 100vw, 393px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-367883\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: PIB<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>\n<li>Cotton production in India is largely concentrated in\u00a0<strong>9 major states<\/strong>, grouped into\u00a0<strong>3 distinct agro-ecological zones:<\/strong>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Northern Zone<\/strong>\u00a0comprising Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan<\/li>\n<li><strong>Central Zone<\/strong>\u00a0comprising Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh<\/li>\n<li><strong>Southern Zone<\/strong>\u00a0comprising Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"blue-h2-box\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"h2\"><\/a>What is the significance of Cotton Sector for India?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Contribution to the Economy<\/strong>: Cotton is the primary raw material for India&#8217;s textile sector, which is a major contributor to manufacturing GDP. <span class=\"citation-1085\">The broader textile sector contributes around <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"9,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"71\"><span class=\"citation-1085\">2% to India&#8217;s GDP<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-1085\"> and roughly <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"9,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"101\"><span class=\"citation-1085\">11% to overall manufacturing Gross Value Added (GVA)<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-1085 citation-end-1085\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Livelihood &amp; Employment Generation<\/strong>: Cotton sustains the livelihoods of nearly <strong>60 lakh farmers<\/strong> directly, and generates employment for an estimated <strong>4-5 crore people<\/strong> in allied activities like ginning, pressing, spinning, weaving, processing, and trade &#8211; making it one of the largest employment-generating crops in Indian agriculture.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Backbone of the Textile Industry<\/strong>: Cotton is the primary raw material for India&#8217;s textile sector, which is a major contributor to manufacturing GDP and one of the largest sources of industrial employment in the country.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Foreign Exchange Earnings<\/strong>: Cotton is one of the largest contributors to India&#8217;s net foreign exchange earnings through exports &#8211; which include &#8211; raw cotton, intermediate products like yarn and fabric, and finished products such as garments, made-ups, and knitwear. <span class=\"citation-1082\">In FY26 alone, Cotton Textiles generated over <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"13,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"169\"><span class=\"citation-1082\">$9.3 billion in export value<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-1082 citation-end-1082\"> (accounting for nearly 29% of total textile exports)<\/span>.\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_367886\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-367886\" style=\"width: 478px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-367886\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-21-131802.png?resize=478%2C356&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Cotton sector\" width=\"478\" height=\"356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-21-131802.png?w=478&amp;ssl=1 478w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-21-131802.png?resize=300%2C223&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 478px) 100vw, 478px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-367886\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: PIB<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>\n<li><strong>Rural Development<\/strong>: As a major commercial crop, cotton provides much higher farmer income potential compared to many food grains, making it central to the rural cash economy in cotton-growing states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Punjab. It supports diversification of the cropping pattern away from staple grains, contributing to agricultural income resilience in semi-arid and rain-fed regions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Enhances Global Trade Competitiveness<\/strong>: India ranks\u00a0<strong>second\u00a0<\/strong>globally in both\u00a0<strong>cotton production and consumption. <\/strong>It<span class=\"citation-1081\">\u00a0accounts for <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"13,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"40\"><span class=\"citation-1081\">~20% of global cotton production, <\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-1081\">holds the <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"13,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"87\"><span class=\"citation-1081\">world&#8217;s largest cotton acreage (38% of global cultivated land), <\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-1081\">and accounts for about 3.37% of total world exports<\/span><span class=\"citation-1081 citation-end-1081\">. As one of the world&#8217;s largest cotton producers, India occupies an important position in global textile and apparel value chains.<\/span>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_367884\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-367884\" style=\"width: 592px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-367884\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-21-131522.png?resize=592%2C481&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Cotton sector \" width=\"592\" height=\"481\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-21-131522.png?w=592&amp;ssl=1 592w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-21-131522.png?resize=300%2C244&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 592px) 100vw, 592px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-367884\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: PIB<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 class=\"blue-h2-box\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"h3\"><\/a>What are the major challenges confronting India&#8217;s Cotton Sector?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Low Productivity<\/strong>: Despite having the largest cotton acreage in the world, India&#8217;s per-hectare yields (440 kg\/ha) remain significantly lower than major competitors like China (~2,311 kg\/ha), Brazil (~1,943 kg\/ha), and the US (~976 kg\/ha), reflecting a persistent productivity gap.<\/li>\n<li><strong>High Cost of Cultivation<\/strong>: <span class=\"\">Cotton picking is a labor-intensive process, accounting for\u00a0<\/span><strong><span class=\"\">30-35% of total cultivation costs<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"\">. Acute labor shortages during the peak picking season make this dependence increasingly unsustainable, yet a lack of investment in research for mechanization-ready varieties and suitable equipment holds back progress.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Pest and Disease Attacks<\/strong>: <span class=\"citation-1155\">Pests like the <strong>Pink Bollworm <\/strong><\/span><span class=\"citation-1155 citation-end-1155\">and <strong>Whitefly<\/strong> have developed widespread resistance, leading to major crop failures in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Punjab. <\/span>Widespread resistance of the pink bollworm to existing Bt cotton has emerged as a major threat to yields and quality, undermining the very technology that once boosted Indian cotton output.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Climate Change and Weather Risks<\/strong>: A large share of cotton cultivation remains rain-fed (62% cotton grown in rainfed regions), making it highly vulnerable to erratic monsoons, droughts, and untimely heavy rains. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of such disruptions, threatening long-term yield stability.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Limited Adoption of Technology<\/strong>: The sector has not seen a major technological breakthrough since the introduction of Bt cotton over two decades ago. Newer, next-generation genetically modified (GM) technologies, such as herbicide-tolerant (Ht) cotton, have been approved for cultivation in some countries but remain stuck in India&#8217;s regulatory process.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sustainability and Environmental Concerns<\/strong>: Conventional cotton cultivation&#8217;s heavy water and chemical input requirements raise sustainability concerns, especially as global textile buyers push for organic, regenerative, and traceable cotton sourcing.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 class=\"blue-h2-box\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"h4\"><\/a>What initiatives has the government undertaken to boost the Cotton Sector?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: #f1f5d5;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 17.1443%;\"><strong>MSP and Procurement Support<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 82.8557%;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Annual fixation of <strong>Minimum Support Price (MSP)<\/strong> for seed cotton (kapas) by CACP recommendation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cotton Corporation of India (CCI)<\/strong> conducts MSP procurement operations whenever market prices fall below MSP.<\/li>\n<li>Cabinet approval of a <strong>\u20b91,718 crore MSP fund<\/strong> routed through CCI to support continued procurement operations and safeguard farmer incomes amid price pressures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 17.1443%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/mission-for-cotton-productivity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Mission for Cotton Productivity<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 82.8557%;\">\n<ul>\n<li>It is a five-year plan (2026-27 to 2030-31), which was approved in May 2026.<\/li>\n<li>Aligned with the\u00a0<strong>\u20185F\u2019 vision<\/strong> of farm, fibre, factory, fashion and foreign, the initiative seeks to enhance farmer incomes and ensure a steady supply of quality cotton.<\/li>\n<li>The Mission aims to transform the sector by focusing on three key pillars:\n<ol>\n<li><strong><span class=\"\">Boosting Productivity Through Technology<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"\">Empowering Farmers and Ensuring Quality<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"\">Expanding the Fibre Base<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 17.1443%;\"><strong>Trade Policy Interventions<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 82.8557%;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Extension of the <strong>11% import duty waiver on cotton<\/strong> to ensure adequate raw material availability for the domestic textile and spinning industry, especially when domestic production hit a 15-year low.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 17.1443%;\"><strong>Kapas Kisan Mobile App<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 82.8557%;\">\n<ul>\n<li>It enables farmers to access MSP information, locate nearby procurement centres, track payments, and access best farming practice advisories, improving transparency and reducing information asymmetry in cotton marketing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 17.1443%;\"><strong>Kasturi Cotton<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 82.8557%;\">\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"citation-1224 citation-end-1224\">A joint initiative between the Ministry of Textiles, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), and TEXPROCIL.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Aims to brand high-quality Indian cotton for global markets, enhancing traceability, quality assurance, and India&#8217;s positioning in premium international cotton and textile markets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 17.1443%;\"><strong>MITRA (Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel) Parks<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 82.8557%;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Introduced to support integrated textile infrastructure development to strengthen the downstream value chain from cotton to finished garments, boosting global competitiveness and investment attraction.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 17.1443%;\"><strong>SAMARTH (Scheme for Capacity Building in the Textile Sector) <\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 82.8557%;\">\n<ul>\n<li>It addresses skill shortages across the cotton-to-textile value chain, with a target of training 10 lakh people to support ginning, spinning, weaving, and garmenting industries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 class=\"blue-h2-box\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"h5\"><\/a>What should be the way forward?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Bridging the Productivity Gap<\/strong>: Accelerate the rollout of Mission for Cotton Productivity with clear, state-wise yield targets, and scale up access to improved seed varieties, precision agriculture, and soil-health-based fertilizer use for smallholder farmers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Improve Water Use Efficiency<\/strong>: Expand subsidized access to precision drip irrigation and micro-irrigation, particularly in rain-fed cotton belts, to reduce climate vulnerability and water intensity simultaneously.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Strengthen Pest and Disease Management<\/strong>: Fast-track a transparent, science-based regulatory review of next-generation Bt\/GM cotton technologies to address pink bollworm resistance, balancing biosafety concerns with the urgent productivity need.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Develop Climate-resilient Varieties<\/strong>: Promote climate-resilient, drought-tolerant cotton varieties suited to erratic monsoon patterns, and strengthen weather-based crop insurance uptake among cotton farmers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Enhance Quality of Cotton Produce<\/strong>: Introduce price premiums for farmers based on fibre quality parameters like staple length and strength &#8211; that would encourage the production of superior cotton.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Develop Robust Supply Chains<\/strong>: Deepen implementation of MITRA textile parks and SAMARTH skilling to help India move up the value chain from raw cotton and yarn exports toward higher-value finished garments and technical textiles.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Boost Export Competitiveness<\/strong>: Expand the Kasturi Cotton initiative with robust digital traceability (blockchain-based certification) to strengthen India&#8217;s positioning in global markets increasingly demanding sustainable and traceable cotton.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\">UPSC GS-3: Agriculture<br \/>\nRead More: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2286497&amp;reg=3&amp;lang=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PIB<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cotton is one of India&#8217;s most important cash crops and contributes about 23% of global fibre production. It supports nearly 6 million farmers and provides employment to around 40\u201350 million people in cultivation, processing, textiles, and trade. Often called &#8220;White Gold,&#8221; cotton is a major source of export earnings. India&#8217;s cotton sector is characterized by&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/indias-cotton-sector-white-gold-significance-challenges-explained-pointwise\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">India&#8217;s Cotton Sector (White Gold) &#8211; Significance &#038; Challenges &#8211; Explained Pointwise<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10391,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[130],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-367879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-7-pm","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/367879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10391"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=367879"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/367879\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=367879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=367879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=367879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}