Cameroon’s Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Crafts (CCIMA) has launched a new initiative to help local textile operators expand their presence in international markets by encouraging participation in Bharat Tex 2026, a move expected to support export growth and strengthen trade ties with India.
In a press release signed by CCIMA Secretary General Halidou Bello, the Chamber invited companies operating in fabrics, garments, fashion, household linen, artisanal weaving, technical textiles, handicrafts, carpets and intelligent production systems to participate in the global exhibition, scheduled for July 14–17, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
The initiative comes as Cameroon seeks to consolidate recent gains in textile exports while addressing growing trade imbalances with India, one of Asia’s largest manufacturing economies.
According to information published on the Bharat Tex 2026 website, the event is billed as the world’s largest integrated textile exhibition, bringing together the entire textile value chain, from raw materials to finished fashion products. Organisers expect more than 3,500 exhibitors, over 7,000 international buyers and upwards of 20,000 textile products to be showcased during the four-day event.
Organised by the Bharat Tex Trade Federation in partnership with India’s Ministry of Textiles, the exhibition will also feature more than 50 technical sessions, executive roundtables and masterclasses focused on innovation, artificial intelligence, circular production systems and sustainability in the textile industry.
CCIMA said the event would offer Cameroonian operators opportunities to secure commercial contracts, establish medium- and long-term partnerships, and gain exposure to emerging technologies shaping global textile production. The Chamber added that networking sessions and workshops would provide participants with market intelligence and business insights aimed at improving competitiveness.
For Cameroon’s textile industry, the exhibition comes at a time when export performance is showing signs of recovery and industrial policy is increasingly focused on transforming local production into higher-value export opportunities.
Data from the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) show that exports from the textile and clothing sector rose to CFA59.4 billion in 2024, compared with CFA57.1 billion in 2023, reflecting renewed momentum in a sector viewed as strategic for industrial diversification and non-oil export earnings.
The trade mission also comes against a backdrop of widening trade imbalances between Cameroon and India. According to NIS data, Cameroon’s trade deficit with India widened to CFA291.4 billion in 2023 from CFA37 billion in 2022, an increase largely attributed to lower export volumes to the South Asian market.
India accounted for 11.6% of Cameroon’s imports in 2023, making it the country’s second-largest supplier after China. The imbalance underscores the importance of initiatives aimed at boosting export-oriented engagement with the Indian market.
Stakeholders say a stronger presence at Bharat Tex 2026 could help reposition Cameroon within global textile supply chains by enabling local producers to access new buyers, improve product visibility and leverage India’s vast textile market infrastructure.
Mercy Fosoh
