It means that India had the technology to turn cotton into fabric. Indian cotton products gained a reputation for being soft and pleasant to the touch, and became a sought-after commodity in England. This was because until then, only clothing (including underwear) made from wool had been distributed in England.

Its impact, combined with the rationalist spirit of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment that created the foundation for modern science, created new markets throughout Europe.

Until then, Arab goods had been distributed by camel teaming and bad roads, but the Portuguese Vasco da Gama opened a trade route by sea to India, which strongly encouraged the supply of cotton in Europe.

By 1664, the East India Company imported 250,000 bales of cotton into England only. (It was not known how much each bale would weigh.)

At the time, Indian textile traders were eager to keep secret how they dyed cotton to create colorful patterns. However, investigations by converts to Christianity and Father Laurence (read English) of the French Catholic Church revealed Indian dyeing and spinning techniques. Father Laurence, who had sworn an oath of secrecy to the Indian textile traders, made his methods public in France. This was the earliest intelligence work recorded in the history of world trade.

This would be one of the catalysts for the emergence of the cotton industry in Europe.