As part of its Outreach initiative, the ICA visited India in May to engage with key stakeholders in the cotton sector and promote the Association’s activities and services.

Pierre Chehab (ICA President) and Bill Kingdon (ICA Managing Director) visited a number of spinning mills and cotton industry organisations across India to better understand the challenges and concerns facing mills, while also promoting the benefits of ICA membership to both individual firms and the wider industry. Their visit included Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, Ludhiana and Mumbai.

In Mumbai, the ICA delegation met with the directors of the Cotton Association of India (CAI) to strengthen ongoing communication and collaboration between the two organisations. The visit culminated in the signing of a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the ICA and the CAI, reaffirming their commitment to continued cooperation.

Robert Jiang (ICA Business Operations & Development Manager )and Jamie Welsh (DJW Cotton Consulting Limited) also delivered two workshops in the textile hubs of India, Ahmedabad and Coimbatore, respectively. The workshops focused on key knowledge modules essential for international cotton trading. A total of 73 participants attended, representing  spinning, ginning, trading, brokerage, and quality control. The workshops were organised by the Cotton Association of India (CAI) in collaboration with the Gujcot Trade Association in Ahmedabad, and with the Indian Cotton Federation and the South India Spinners Association in Coimbatore. Two international cotton merchants, LDC and ECOM, also contributed to the programme, delivering presentations on risk management in Ahmedabad and Coimbatore, respectively.

Speaking after the visit, Vinay Kotak (President of CAI) staid; “The Cotton Association of India (CAI), in collaboration with the International Cotton Association (ICA), successfully organised the ICA Outreach and Training Courses in Ahmedabad and Coimbatore during May 2026. These programmes provided a valuable platform for participants across the cotton value chain to gain a deeper understanding of the ICA Rules and By-laws governing international cotton trade. The sessions helped educate traders, brokers, exporters, importers, spinning mills and other stakeholders on contract sanctity, dispute prevention and resolution mechanisms, quality standards and safe trading practices. By enhancing awareness of internationally accepted trading procedures and arbitration systems, the programmes contributed to greater professionalism, transparency and confidence in cotton trade transactions.

I place on record my sincere appreciation to the ICA President, Board of Directors and faculty members for organising these highly useful programmes in India, as well as to all supporting organisations for their valuable cooperation. Both the CAI and ICA remain firmly committed to promoting safe trading practices and upholding the sanctity of contracts in the international cotton trade. Outreach and Training Courses of this nature go a long way in advancing these objectives by fostering knowledge, professionalism and fair trade practices across the cotton value chain.”

Pankaj Mepani (Organiser and Director of CAI) added; “The workshops received an overwhelmingly positive response from participants. Encouraged by the strong feedback, the CAI and ICA agreed to organise similar events on a biennial basis.”