The Ministry of Textiles has rolled out an unprecedented blueprint for cotton procurement under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime, with record 550 procurement centres, first-ever uniform operational norms, and the launch of the ‘Kapas-Kisaan’ mobile app for nationwide farmer self-registration and slot booking.

Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh, chairing a high-level review meeting with senior officials from the Ministry and the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), reaffirmed the government’s commitment to safeguard cotton farmers’ incomes. He assured that all kapas arriving under MSP guidelines will be procured without disruption, with a focus on timely, transparent, and farmer-centric delivery.

For the first time, uniform standards have been laid down for procurement centres, factoring in cotton cultivation area, functional APMC yards, and the presence of stock processing factories. This has enabled the establishment of 550 centres across major cotton-growing states. Procurement will begin on October 1 in North India, October 15 in Central India, and October 21 in South India.

Driving the shift toward a digital cotton ecosystem, all MSP operations—from procurement to stock sales—are now faceless and paperless. The new ‘Kapas-Kisaan’ app will allow Aadhaar-based self-registration and seven-day rolling slot booking, while ensuring direct Aadhaar-linked payments to farmers’ bank accounts through the National Automated Clearing House (NACH). Farmers will also continue to receive SMS-based payment notifications, introduced last year.

To strengthen ground-level execution, Local Monitoring Committees (LMCs) will be set up in every APMC mandi for immediate grievance redressal. State-level helplines and a centralised CCI helpline will remain active through the procurement season. Adequate manpower, logistics, and infrastructure are being mobilised to ensure smooth operations across the country.

“This season marks a turning point in MSP operations—one that places digital empowerment, farmer trust, and seamless execution at the core of India’s cotton economy,” the Minister said.