Cotton Textile Industry

Let’s start with the raw material—cotton. It is:

Lightweight and non-perishable, unlike sugarcane which spoils quickly.
During processing—from cotton to yarn to cloth—there is hardly any weight loss. This means the transportation cost doesn’t increase significantly.

🧠 Implication:
Unlike industries like sugar (perishable) or steel (heavy raw material & bulky transport), the cotton textile industry does not need to be close to cotton farms. So, other factors become more important in deciding the industry’s location.

Commercial Species of Cotton

Globally, four commercial species are grown:

Gossypium arboreum & herbaceum – Traditional Asian cotton, low quality but resilient.
Gossypium hirsutum – Known as American Upland or Mexican cotton. Shorter staple, but 90% of global production comes from this!
Gossypium barbadense – Egyptian cotton (aka Pima). Long-staple, ultra-premium.

India is unique—it grows all four.

G. hirsutum and G. arboreum are found across major cotton states.
G. herbaceum is more localized—mainly in Gujarat and Karnataka.
G. barbadense is very rare—tiny pockets in Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh.

Why is this classification important?

Because quality, yields, and suitability for export or denim or high-end textiles—all depend on the species.

Key Factors Influencing Location

Since raw material proximity isn’t critical, let’s explore what is.

a. Access to Market

It’s a market-oriented industry. Cotton clothes are worn by people everywhere, especially in tropical countries.
British textile mills in Manchester and Lancashire imported cotton from colonies (like India), and exported finished cloth globally.
In India, places like Kanpur, Kolkata and even West Bengal and Kerala (where cotton isn’t grown) have textile mills due to demand.

b. Water Availability

Dyeing and bleaching require a lot of water.
So, mills are set up near soft water sources.
Examples:
- Manchester – River Mersey
- Mumbai – Mithi River
- Ahmedabad – Sabarmati
- Coimbatore – Noyyal River

c. Power Supply

Originally, mills used water power, then steam engines, and now hydro and electric power.
The shift allowed industries to move into cities and farther from cotton farms.
Example: Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore and Madurai grew due to Pykara hydroelectric power.

d. Labour

Cotton textiles need a large, low-cost workforce.
That’s why this industry moved from expensive labour zones like the UK and Germany to India, China, and Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is a star example—little cotton production but massive textile output, thanks to cheap labour and government support.

e. Capital and Investment

Access to finance also plays a role.
Example: Kanpur grew due to local investment and entrepreneurial push.

🚂 Role of Transportation

Here, we must understand one subtle point.

Even though the industry isn’t dependent on raw material location, good transport connectivity ensures:

Easy inflow of cotton from farms.
Easy outflow of cloth to markets.

Example: After 1921, Indian cotton mills moved from Mumbai-Ahmedabad axis to interior cities like Madurai and Bengaluru due to railway expansion.

🌍 The Geography of Cotton Textile Industry

In India:

Grows in cotton-growing tracts like Ahmedabad, Solapur, Nagpur, Coimbatore.
But also found in non-cotton areas like Kolkata, due to market, port, and labour.

In the U.S.:

Concentrated in southern states like Texas, Mississippi, Georgia—where cotton is grown.

🌡️ Role of Climate

Cotton threads break if the air is dry.
So, hot and humid climates (like Mumbai or southeastern U.S.) are ideal.
Today, we have humidity controllers, so mills can operate even in drier areas.

🧴By-products and Auxiliary Industries

Here’s the most sustainable part—nothing goes to waste.

Cottonseed is used in:
- Cattle feed
- Cottonseed oil
- Poultry feed
These auxiliary industries thrive in cotton-growing regions like India, China, and the U.S.

🏛️ Government Policies & Technological Push

Manchester’s rise wasn’t natural—it had British imperial policy backing it.
In Bangladesh, government support + cheap labour = global textile powerhouse.
Britain’s early dominance came from technological breakthroughs—spinning jenny, steam engine, etc.

🧩 Conclusion

So, what’s the final picture?

Cotton textile industry is not rigidly tied to the farm. Instead, it flourishes wherever:

Labour is cheap
Water is available
Power is steady
Markets are near
Transport is good
And there’s either government push or entrepreneurial zeal

In short, this industry is a beautiful example of how geography meets economics, politics, and technology to shape industrial landscapes.