Clusters, products and travel bands
India's home textile exports are concentrated in a few towns. Each has its own product mix, and the inspection checklist follows the product. The travel band sets the travel fee; the inspection fee is the same everywhere.
| Cluster | Main products | Context (source, date) | Travel band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panipat, Haryana | Rugs, blankets, throws, cushions, bath mats, curtains | Textile exports of about ₹20,000 crore a year, with exporters reporting a fall of over 40% after the 2025 US tariffs (The Tribune, 16 Sep 2025). TEE for woollen blankets and for carpets, other textile floor coverings and bed linen (DGFT) | C: inspectors travel from Delhi NCR |
| Karur, Tamil Nadu | Bed linen, kitchen textiles, table linen, curtains, towels | Home textile exports of about ₹6,000 crore a year (industry sources cited by Apparel Resources, 7 Jan 2026). TEE for handlooms (DGFT) | C: actual travel cost |
| Bhadohi–Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh | Hand-knotted, tufted and flatweave rugs and carpets | About half of India's carpet exports (43rd India Carpet Expo post-show report, Embassy of India Lisbon, 2022). Bhadohi is a TEE for carpets (DGFT); Mirzapur was added for handmade carpets and dari under FTP 2023 (PIB, 31 Mar 2023) | C: actual travel cost |
| Jaipur, Rajasthan | Hand-block-printed bed linen and fabric; rugs | Sanganeri Hand Block Printing and Bagru Hand Block Print are registered GIs (see the Rajasthan page) | B: US$99 per man-day |
| Erode, Tamil Nadu | Handloom bedspreads, towels and furnishing fabrics | The district profile lists handloom products among its major exports (Erode district administration, updated 6 Feb 2026) | C: actual travel cost |
| Barmer, Rajasthan | Embroidered and appliqué cushion covers, quilts, throws | TEE for handicrafts (DGFT) | C: inspectors travel from Jodhpur |
| Kolkata, West Bengal | Jute rugs and jute bags | Inspectors based in the city | B: US$99 per man-day |
The 2025 US tariffs hit Panipat and Karur hard, so the export figures above may overstate current volumes. Check travel and notice for any other town on the coverage page.
What a home textile inspection in India costs
The fee is US$249 per man-day: one inspector, one factory, one working day of 8 hours, with the report included within 24 hours. As a guide, one man-day covers up to 5 styles of textile items at General Inspection Level II. Large lots, many colourways, full measurement charts on every size or on-site wash tests can need more.
| Where the goods are | Travel fee | Example: two man-days |
|---|---|---|
| Jodhpur (Band A) | None | US$498 |
| Jaipur, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Delhi NCR, Kolkata (Band B) | US$99 per man-day | US$696 |
| Panipat, Karur, Bhadohi and anywhere else (Band C) | Actual travel cost, quoted before you book | US$498 plus travel |
A reinspection after rework is US$149 per visit, plus travel by band. Lab testing coordination, for colour fastness, dimensional stability, azo dyes or flammability, is US$99 per order, with lab fees billed at cost. The fee is fixed at booking and is the same whether the lot passes or fails. Full details are on the pricing page.
What is checked on home textiles
| Check | How it is done on site |
|---|---|
| GSM (fabric weight) | Circular cutter and scale on a sample piece, compared with the specification |
| Dimensions | Measured flat, without tension, against the size chart and tolerance; pillow and duvet covers checked with the insert size in mind |
| Shrinkage | Marked and measured before and after a wash, where the buyer asks for an on-site check; full dimensional-stability tests go to a lab |
| Colour and shade | Compared with the approved sample under a light box, with shade checked across pieces in one carton and between cartons |
| Colour fastness | A quick rub test with white cloth for dry and wet crocking; formal wash and light fastness tests go to a lab |
| Stitching | Stitches per inch, seam strength, open seams, skipped stitches, hems and corners |
| Labelling | Fibre content, country of origin, care instructions, size, brand and barcode against the market's rules and the buyer's artwork |
| Packing | Folding, inserts, polybag warnings and thickness, carton marks, counts per carton and a carton drop test |
Sampling follows ISO 2859-1. The AQL calculator gives the sample size for your lot.
Checks by product
- Bed linen. Thread count claims against the fabric, print and pattern alignment, pocket depth on fitted sheets, closures on duvet covers, set contents.
- Towels. GSM, pile loops pulled or missing, selvedge and hem quality, shade within a set, absorbency on a quick drop test where specified.
- Curtains. Drop length and width, header tape or eyelet spacing, lining attachment, pattern matching across panels.
- Rugs and throws. Size and squareness, knot count or tuft density, pile height, backing adhesion on tufted rugs, shedding, fringe, colour bleed.
- Cushions. Zip function, fill weight and distribution, cover fit, embroidery and print alignment.
Rugs sold in the US must also meet the CPSC surface flammability standards: 16 CFR 1630 for large carpets and rugs, and 16 CFR 1631 for small rugs. The test is done by a lab; the inspector checks that the report covers the construction being shipped.
The 4-point fabric system, in brief
For fabric checked before cutting, or for large items such as throws and curtains, many buyers grade defects with the 4-point system described in ASTM D5430. Each defect gets penalty points by length:
| Defect length | Points |
|---|---|
| Up to 3 inches | 1 |
| Over 3 and up to 6 inches | 2 |
| Over 6 and up to 9 inches | 3 |
| Over 9 inches | 4 |
No single defect scores more than 4 points. The total is converted to points per 100 square yards: points × 3,600 ÷ (yards inspected × fabric width in inches). The standard leaves the acceptance limit to buyer and supplier. Many buyers use 40 points per 100 square yards, but the figure should be in your specification.
Common defects
| Defect | Typical cause | Usual class |
|---|---|---|
| Shade variation between pieces in a set | Fabric from different dye lots mixed in cutting | Major |
| Undersize after washing | Fabric not pre-shrunk, or size cut without allowance | Major |
| Low GSM | Lighter yarn or looser construction than ordered | Major |
| Open or skipped seams | Machine tension, worn needles, rushed finishing | Major |
| Wrong or missing fibre or care label | Generic labels, artwork for another market | Major |
| Stains and oil marks | Handling and machine oil in finishing | Minor or major by size and position |
| Rug shedding or backing peeling | Too little latex, poor curing on tufted rugs | Major |
| Needle or metal fragment left in product | No needle control or metal detection in finishing | Critical |
The buyer's defect list decides the final class.
A textile lot is often issued as Hold rather than failed. That happens when the AQL results are within limits but something needs the buyer's decision: a quantity shortfall, labels or carton marks that differ from the approved artwork, a shade difference from the approved sample, or missing test reports. A lot is Not cleared when any critical defect is found, such as a broken needle in a quilt, or when major or minor defects reach the AQL reject number. Our published sample reports are furniture inspections, but they show the same report format and verdict logic a textile report follows.
Labelling rules by market
Labels are one of the most common reasons a textile lot is held. The rules differ by market:
- United States: Textile Act. The FTC's Textile Fiber Products Identification Act and rules (16 CFR Part 303) cover household textiles, including bedding, towels, curtains, cushions, throws, rugs and mats. Labels must show generic fibre names and percentages by weight, the country of origin, and the manufacturer's name or Registered Identification Number (RN). The backing of a rug is excluded from the fibre content.
- United States: care labels. The FTC Care Labeling Rule (16 CFR Part 423) covers clothing and some piece goods, not household textiles. Many US retailers still require care labels on bedding and towels, so follow the buyer's artwork.
- European Union: Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011. Textile products, and products with at least 80% textile fibres by weight, must be labelled with their fibre composition, using the fibre names in the regulation and percentages in descending order. The label must be in the official language or languages of the country where the product is sold. Care labels are not required by EU law; where used, they usually follow the ISO 3758 symbols.
- European Union: GPSR. Regulation (EU) 2023/988 requires an EU-based responsible economic operator, named on the product, its packaging or an accompanying document.
An inspection checks that the label on the product matches the rule and the buyer's approved artwork. Chemical tests, such as azo dyes under REACH, and formal colour fastness tests are done by an accredited lab. We can pull the samples.
Sources
- The Tribune: Trump's 50% tariffs shrink textile city Panipat's exports (16 Sep 2025)
- Apparel Resources: US tariffs force Karur textile exporters to cut working days (7 Jan 2026)
- DGFT, Foreign Trade Policy Appendix 1B: List of Towns of Export Excellence (read 14 Oct 2026)
- PIB: Foreign Trade Policy 2023 announced, new TEEs incl. Mirzapur (31 Mar 2023)
- Erode district administration: About district (updated 6 Feb 2026)
- 43rd India Carpet Expo post-show report (Embassy of India, Lisbon, 2022)
- FTC: Threading your way through the labeling requirements under the Textile and Wool Acts
- FTC: Clothes captioning, complying with the Care Labeling Rule
- Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 on textile fibre names and labelling
- EUR-Lex summary: textile fibre names and labelling
- CPSC: Carpets and rugs (16 CFR 1630 and 1631)
- ASTM D5430: Standard test methods for visually inspecting and grading fabrics