Kala Cotton: Kutch's Rain-Fed, Indigenous Cotton
A hardy, rain-fed indigenous cotton of Kutch — grown without irrigation or synthetic inputs, and revived as a model of resilient, sustainable cloth.
Kala cotton is an indigenous, old-world cotton variety cultivated in the Kutch region of Gujarat. It is rain-fed and is grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, making it notably resilient in dry, drought-prone conditions.
Why it matters
As one of India's few indigenous cottons still grown largely as it always has been — rain-fed and hand-processed — Kala cotton has become a reference point for sustainable, low-input textile production. Kutch organisations such as Khamir have been central to reviving its supply chain and handloom weaving.
Sources
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