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Textiles & apparel

Export bed linen

Cotton sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers from large home-textile mills and Karur, Panipat and Solapur clusters.

Free to exportHS 6302.21
HS code
6302.21
Bed linen of cotton: printed (6302 21) and other (6302 31) — flat and fitted sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers and sets.
Export policy
Free to export
Free under ITC(HS) Schedule 2; no licence is needed. Confirm the 8-digit line on the DGFT ITC(HS) search before you ship.
Registrations
3
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 508 mn
to 89 countries

What is exported

India is a leading supplier of cotton bed linen to US and European retailers, from vertically integrated mills in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab and smaller units in Karur, Panipat and Solapur. Thread count, fibre (long-staple and organic cotton) and finishing drive the price. Retailers expect social audits, chemical testing and traceable cotton.

Varieties, grades and forms

  • Percale and sateen sheet setsPlain-weave or satin-weave cotton, usually 200–600 thread count.
  • Printed bed linenDigital, rotary and hand-block prints.
  • Duvet covers and pillowcasesSold in sets or separately.
  • Hotel linenWhite percale and blends for hospitality.

Where it is grown or made

  • Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya PradeshLarge integrated mills supplying US retailers.
  • Tamil NaduKarur and Erode made-up units.
  • Haryana and PunjabPanipat and Ludhiana.
  • Rajasthan and MaharashtraJaipur and Sanganer hand-block prints; Solapur chaddars.

Export packing

  • Folded sets in printed retail packs (PVC-free bags or boxes), inner cartons and five-ply master cartons with barcodes and care labels.
  • Wooden pallets must be ISPM-15 heat-treated and stamped.

Who buys abroad

  • US and European retailers and department stores
  • Online home brands
  • Hotel linen suppliers

The quality buyers ask for

Thread count
Total warp and weft threads per square inch, verified by test (e.g. 200, 300, 400)
Weave
Percale (plain) or sateen (satin)
Size
To the destination’s bed sizes (US twin, full, queen, king; EU and UK sizes differ)
Colour fastness
Washing, rubbing, light and perspiration, usually grade 3–4 or better (ISO 105 / AATCC methods)
Restricted substances
No banned azo dyes; formaldehyde, pH and heavy metals within REACH and buyer limits

Certificates

  • RCMCRequiredRegistration with the export promotion council or board for your product (not needed up to ₹3 lakh FOB per consignment since 15 Sep 2026).
  • OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100Often askedTests the finished textile for harmful substances; widely asked for by retailers.
  • GOTSOften askedGlobal Organic Textile Standard, for goods sold as organic cotton or silk.
  • BCI / Kasturi Cotton BharatOften askedTraceable or responsibly grown cotton programmes that brands ask for.
  • Social audit (SA8000, BSCI/amfori, SMETA, WRAP)Often askedLabour and workplace audit required by most Western retailers before they place orders.

Shipping, storage and shelf life

Container load

Cartons in 40-ft or 40-ft high-cube containers.

How it travels

Sea from Mundra, Nhava Sheva, Chennai and Tuticorin.

Storage

Clean, dry warehouse; keep packs sealed to avoid soiling.

What goes on the pack and carton

  • USA: fibre content by percentage, country of origin and the manufacturer’s name or RN number on a permanent label (FTC Textile Act rules); care label for consumer goods.
  • EU: fibre names and percentages under Regulation (EU) 1007/2011, in the language of the selling country; care symbols are commonly expected.
  • Packs: size, thread count (only if verified), fibre, care instructions and barcode.
Where to get it tested

Test at the textile research associations — SITRA (Coimbatore), NITRA (Ghaziabad), BTRA (Mumbai), ATIRA (Ahmedabad) — at Textiles Committee laboratories, or at any NABL-accredited textile lab (search the NABL directory for “textiles” and your city). Retail buyers often name a global test house with labs in India.

Benefits of exporting this product

Where to register

  • TEXPROCILRCMC from the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council, which covers raw cotton, cotton yarn, cotton fabrics (including knit fabrics) and cotton made-ups such as towels, bed linen and scarves.texprocil.org ↗

Quality and checks

  • Buyer test reports for fibre content, GSM, colour fastness, shrinkage and restricted chemicals (azo dyes, formaldehyde); EU buyers apply REACH limits.
  • Fibre-traceability declarations: US Customs can detain cotton goods under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act unless you can show the cotton’s origin.
  • Thread count verification, dimensions after washing, pilling and seam strength.
  • US tariffs on Indian goods changed several times in 2025–26 (US-India joint statement of February 2026 and later US actions). Check the current US duty for your HTS line and confirm it with the buyer before quoting.
How to start small

Begin with printed or plain cotton sheet sets from a Panipat or Karur unit for small online brands and boutique stores. Get OEKO-TEX testing done, send a sample set and ship a mixed LCL lot. Since 15 September 2026, a consignment worth up to ₹3 lakh FOB does not need an RCMC (DGFT Notification 36/2026-27). Registrations that a law requires for the product still apply.

Where new exporters go wrong

  • Overstating thread count — US regulators and retailers act against misleading claims.
  • Claiming organic or Egyptian cotton without certified supply-chain documents.
  • Shrinkage beyond tolerance making fitted sheets too small.

Documents this product needs

Schemes that apply

Sources (7)
  1. DGFT — ITC(HS) export policy search (Schedule 2)
  2. TEXPROCIL — The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council
  3. PIB — RoSCTL guidelines (apparel under Chapters 61–62 and made-ups under Chapter 63)
  4. IP India (Geographical Indications Registry) — Registration details of Geographical Indications
  5. US FTC — Labeling requirements under the Textile and Wool Acts
  6. OEKO-TEX — STANDARD 100
  7. PIB — India-UK CETA enters into force (15 Jul 2026): zero-duty access for nearly 99% of India’s exports

Trade data

Indian bed linen exports in numbers

From the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat, country by country. US$, Indian financial years (April–March).

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 508 mn
+10.1% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↓ -15.2%
US$ 599 mn → US$ 508 mn
Buyer countries
89
Average export price
US$ 9.82
per kg · 51,726 tonnes shipped · US$ 10.42 the year before
United States of America: US$ 341 mnAustralia: US$ 27.1 mnCanada: US$ 23.2 mnGermany: US$ 16.9 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 15.6 mnIsrael: US$ 8.4 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 6.9 mnFrance: US$ 6.3 mnNetherlands: US$ 6.3 mnDenmark: US$ 5.6 mnMexico: US$ 4.2 mnPoland: US$ 3.8 mnNew Zealand: US$ 3.7 mnSpain: US$ 3.3 mnBelgium: US$ 3.1 mnSaudi Arabia: US$ 3 mnItaly: US$ 2.9 mnBrazil: US$ 2.9 mnSweden: US$ 2.4 mnJapan: US$ 1.8 mnNorway: US$ 1.7 mnThailand: US$ 1.3 mnChile: US$ 1.2 mnUnited States of America: US$ 341 mnUnited States of AmericaAustralia: US$ 27.1 mnAustraliaCanada: US$ 23.2 mnGermany: US$ 16.9 mnGermanyUnited Kingdom: US$ 15.6 mnIsrael: US$ 8.4 mnIsraelUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 6.9 mnUnited Arab EmiratesFrance: US$ 6.3 mnNetherlands: US$ 6.3 mnDenmark: US$ 5.6 mnMexico: US$ 4.2 mnMexicoPoland: US$ 3.8 mnNew Zealand: US$ 3.7 mnSpain: US$ 3.3 mnBelgium: US$ 3.1 mnSaudi Arabia: US$ 3 mnItaly: US$ 2.9 mnBrazil: US$ 2.9 mnSweden: US$ 2.4 mnJapan: US$ 1.8 mnNorway: US$ 1.7 mnThailand: US$ 1.3 mnChile: US$ 1.2 mnIndia
Where Indian bed linen goes — among our 80 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 314 mn3142020-212021-22: US$ 1.09 bn1.1k2021-222022-23: US$ 668 mn6682022-232023-24: US$ 587 mn5872023-242024-25: US$ 599 mn5992024-252025-26: US$ 508 mn5082025-26
India’s bed linen exports, year by year · US$ million

The price cycle

India’s average export price per kg each year (total value ÷ total quantity). Highest in 2022-23, lowest in 2025-26 — a 21% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 11.23 per kg2021-22: US$ 11.51 per kg2022-23: US$ 11.88 per kg11.882024-25: US$ 10.42 per kg2025-26: US$ 9.82 per kg9.822020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian bed linen · US$ per kg · dotted = year in between not available

What next: a projection from the trend

The past trend carried forward — not a forecast by any authority. Sudden changes in policy, prices or demand are not in it.

2020-21: US$ 314 mn2020-212021-22: US$ 1.09 bn2021-222022-23: US$ 668 mn2022-232023-24: US$ 587 mn2023-242024-25: US$ 599 mn2024-252025-26: US$ 508 mn2025-262026-27: US$ 615 mn (US$ 333 mn – US$ 1.14 bn)6152026-272027-28: US$ 624 mn (US$ 314 mn – US$ 1.24 bn)6242027-28
India’s bed linen exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 624 mn

Likely range US$ 314 mn to US$ 1.24 bn.

Trend
+1.4% a year
Fit (R²)
0 — weak, read with care
Based on
6 years of official figures

Method: a straight line through the logarithm of yearly exports (log-linear regression); range = ±1 standard error.

Biggest buyer countries

By value in 2025-26. Change is against 2024-25.

Name2025-26Change
1United States of AmericaUS$ 341 mn-22.4%
2AustraliaUS$ 27.1 mn+46.7%
3CanadaUS$ 23.2 mn-12.1%
4GermanyUS$ 16.9 mn-5.5%
5United KingdomUS$ 15.6 mn+3.8%
6IsraelUS$ 8.4 mn-33.7%
7United Arab EmiratesUS$ 6.9 mn-6.4%
8FranceUS$ 6.3 mn+52.5%
9NetherlandsUS$ 6.3 mn+24%
10DenmarkUS$ 5.6 mn+29.1%
11MexicoUS$ 4.2 mn-69.5%
12PolandUS$ 3.8 mn+9.2%

Where demand is rising and falling

Only countries that buy at least US$ 1 million or 1% of India’s exports of this product. Change from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

High demand

  1. FranceUS$ 4.2 mn → US$ 6.3 mn+52.5%
  2. AustraliaUS$ 18.5 mn → US$ 27.1 mn+46.7%
  3. DenmarkUS$ 4.4 mn → US$ 5.6 mn+29.1%
  4. NetherlandsUS$ 5.1 mn → US$ 6.3 mn+24%

Low demand

  1. MexicoUS$ 13.7 mn → US$ 4.2 mn-69.5%
  2. IsraelUS$ 12.6 mn → US$ 8.4 mn-33.7%
  3. New ZealandUS$ 5.1 mn → US$ 3.7 mn-28.5%
  4. United States of AmericaUS$ 439 mn → US$ 341 mn-22.4%
  5. CanadaUS$ 26.4 mn → US$ 23.2 mn-12.1%

New buyers: Countries that bought nothing from India in 2024-25 and did in 2025-26.

  • Argentina · US$ 1.1 mn

Which forms sell, and at what price

India’s exports by 8-digit tariff line, 2025-26. Average price = total value ÷ total quantity (TradeStat): the average of every shipment on that line, not the price of any one deal.

Tariff lineValue 2025-26ChangeQuantityAverage price
Bed linen, of cotton — other bed linen of cotton6302 31 00US$ 408 mn-15.6%41,561 tonnesUS$ 9.82 per kgwas US$ 10.49
Other bed linen, printed: of cotton, other than handloom6302 21 90 · Bed linen, of cotton, printed, not knitted or crochetedUS$ 99.4 mn-13.7%10,154 tonnesUS$ 9.79 per kgwas US$ 10.16
Other bed linen, printed: of cotton, handloom6302 21 10 · Bed linen, of cotton, printed, not knitted or crochetedUS$ 130k+225%12 tonnesUS$ 10.65 per kgwas US$ 8.63

The world market

Each country’s own recorded exports and imports in UN Comtrade, 2023 (the latest year nearly every country has reported).

World imports
US$ 6.01 bn
2023
India among exporters
#3
of 135 countries
India’s share of world exports
10.3%
US$ 552 mn
Left for others to win
US$ 4.79 bn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1ChinaUS$ 1.46 bn 27.2%
  2. 2PakistanUS$ 1.15 bn 21.5%
  3. 3IndiaUS$ 552 mn 10.3%
  4. 4GermanyUS$ 389 mn 7.3%
  5. 5TürkiyeUS$ 305 mn 5.7%
  6. 6PortugalUS$ 268 mn 5%
  7. 7FranceUS$ 167 mn 3.1%
  8. 8ItalyUS$ 151 mn 2.8%
  9. 9CzechiaUS$ 97.1 mn 1.8%
  10. 10PolandUS$ 90.9 mn 1.7%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1USAUS$ 1.73 bn 28.7%
  2. 2GermanyUS$ 650 mn 10.8%
  3. 3FranceUS$ 426 mn 7.1%
  4. 4United KingdomUS$ 337 mn 5.6%
  5. 5ItalyUS$ 245 mn 4.1%
  6. 6AustraliaUS$ 222 mn 3.7%
  7. 7NetherlandsUS$ 212 mn 3.5%
  8. 8CanadaUS$ 196 mn 3.3%
  9. 9JapanUS$ 184 mn 3.1%
  10. 10SpainUS$ 176 mn 2.9%

Opportunity: what these countries buy from the world, and from India

Each country’s own recorded imports in UN Comtrade, latest year it has reported. The long light part of each bar is demand other countries are filling today.

United States of AmericaUS$ 1.79 bnIndia 56.5% · gap US$ 778 mn
GermanyUS$ 613 mnIndia 4.9% · gap US$ 583 mn
FranceUS$ 437 mnIndia 3.2% · gap US$ 423 mn
United KingdomUS$ 337 mnIndia 11.1% · gap US$ 299 mn
NetherlandsUS$ 219 mnIndia 3.6% · gap US$ 211 mn
ItalyUS$ 214 mnIndia 2.7% · gap US$ 208 mn
AustraliaUS$ 222 mnIndia 13.2% · gap US$ 193 mn
JapanUS$ 167 mnIndia 2.9% · gap US$ 162 mn
SpainUS$ 152 mnIndia 3.1% · gap US$ 148 mn
CanadaUS$ 206 mnIndia 43% · gap US$ 117 mn

TradeStat’s 2023-24 quantities are double-counted, so that year is left out of the price. Sources: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · UN Comtrade database (United Nations Statistics Division) · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

Step by step

How to export bed linen

India is one of the largest suppliers of cotton bed linen to the USA, competing with China and Pakistan, and a major supplier to Europe. Large mills supply big retailers under private label, while smaller clusters serve boutique and online brands. Buyers increasingly ask for organic or traceable cotton, verified thread counts and responsible chemistry. Openings lie in premium long-staple and organic ranges, hand-block prints and the UK under CETA.

  1. 01Send samples and agree the spec

    Send swatches or cones with test reports; fix construction, GSM or count, shade, tolerances, packing and the testing lab in the purchase order.

  2. 02Pass the buyer audit

    Clear the social, chemical and quality audits the retailer requires.

  3. 03Weave, process and cut

    Weave or buy fabric, bleach, dye or print, then cut and stitch to size.

  4. 04Inspect and pack

    Inspect to AQL, fold and pack in retail packs.

  5. 05Book, stuff and file the shipping bill

    Book the container, stuff it at the factory or a CFS, file the shipping bill on ICEGATE with the correct 8-digit code and the RoDTEP/RoSCTL declaration, and get the bill of lading.

  6. 06Get paid and close the file

    Send the original documents through your bank (or to the buyer if paid in advance). Once the money arrives, get the e-BRC and claim RoDTEP, RoSCTL or drawback where they apply.

Meet buyers

Trade fairs

Questions

Questions about exporting bed linen

Does bed linen get RoDTEP?
No. Bed linen is a Chapter 63 made-up under RoSCTL; check the current rate and status.
How is thread count checked?
A lab counts warp and weft threads per square inch; inflated claims cause rejections and legal risk.
What is the difference between percale and sateen?
Percale is a crisp plain weave; sateen is a smooth, lustrous satin weave.
Do US sizes differ from UK and EU sizes?
Yes. Always cut to the destination’s standard bed sizes.
Is Solapur Chaddar a GI?
Yes, Solapur Chaddar is a registered Geographical Indication.
Sources (6)
  1. TEXPROCIL — The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council
  2. PIB — RoSCTL guidelines (apparel under Chapters 61–62 and made-ups under Chapter 63)
  3. IP India (Geographical Indications Registry) — Registration details of Geographical Indications
  4. US FTC — Labeling requirements under the Textile and Wool Acts
  5. OEKO-TEX — STANDARD 100
  6. PIB — India-UK CETA enters into force (15 Jul 2026): zero-duty access for nearly 99% of India’s exports

Who buys Indian bed linen

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