From Tirupur to Panipat, soaring cotton prices are searing India’s textile exporters and mills

If the rise in food prices has changed your dietary preferences, now be ready to change your sartorial preferences. “A cotton saree we used to sell for Rs 2,500 a year ago now costs Rs 3,100 — 25% more,” says Ritu Oberoi, founder of ForSarees, a homegrown apparel brand. She blames the price spike on the rampant increase in cotton prices. People don’t spend a lot on cotton clothes and so passing on the cost is not an option. “Companies like