Cotton it truly a miracle fiber: it has been spun, woven, and dyed since ancient times, and it is still the most widely used fiber for cloth today. It is soft and fluffy and grows in a boll around the seeds of the cotton plant. The English word for cotton comes from the Arabic “al-qutun.”
India held a global monopoly over the manufacturing of cotton for about 3,000 years - from 1500 B.C. to 1500 A.D. It served as an ideal source of exchange in the barter economy system during the ancient period. The first cotton mill in India was established in 1818 near Kolkata but was a commercial failure. The second cotton mill was established by KGN Daber in 1854 and was named Bombay Spinning and Weaving Company. This mill is said to mark the true foundation of the modern cotton industry in India.
The First and Second World Wars, the Swadeshi Movement and the grant of fiscal protection rapidly propelled the growth of this industry.
From textile mills comes apparel, ranging from t-shirts to socks to dresses, all made with natural cotton. But the beauty of cotton is that most of what is harvested is fully used in one or the other form. Cotton touches a variety of industries and once it is harvested, very little of it goes to waste. This fact, along with how it goes from seed to product in less than a year, makes it as compelling crop for generations.