Accelerating the Transition of the Indian Textile Sector towards Circularity (InTex India)
Overview
InTex India Project supports Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in adopting circular business models and life cycle approaches through capacity-building workshops and policy support. In partnership with the Ministry of Textiles and UNEP, the project aims to accelerate the Indian textile sector’s transition to circularity, with a primary focus on SMEs.
The initiative will be implemented in key textile hubs, including Surat, Karur, Salem, Dindigul, and Perundurai, engaging stakeholders such as SMEs, industry associations, and government bodies. Piloting targeted interventions, the project seeks to reduce environmental impacts and foster a sustainable textile ecosystem.
Objectives
- Accelerate Circular Business Models by supporting SMEs in adopting circular economy practices and eco-innovation in the Indian textile sector
- Integrate Life Cycle Approaches with tools like Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) to assess and reduce their environmental impact
- Provide training and technical assistance to industry stakeholders, improving sustainability and competitiveness
- Enhance Policy Development by collaborating with the Government of India to develop circular textile policies that address SME needs
Events
ISS 2024 – Beyond Plantations: Synergies for Healthy Mangroves, Thriving Coastal Communities, and Robust Value Chains – Lessons from the Sundarban: Watch here
The session, as a part of Centre for Responsible Business (CRB’s) India and Sustainability Standards 2024, aimed to develop a strong narrative that promotes a comprehensive concept of mangrove stewardship at the national level, going beyond just increasing mangrove cover through plantations. Some of the objectives of the session were:
- Emphasise the importance of nurturing and promoting mangrove stewardship among local communities to ensure long-term ecological sustainability beyond mangrove plantation.
- Advocate for the mobilisation of resources through the right channels to support mangrove stewardship and related livelihood initiatives, with particular emphasis on women’s empowerment.
- Initiate a multi-stakeholder dialogue platform on the transformative bottom-up model (pursued by NEWS) coalescing the triple objectives of healthy mangroves, thriving coastal communities and resilient value chains.
- Use the platform to raise awareness about the positive outcomes nature based solutions using a value chain approach, involving all key stakeholders in the region.
Events
Under the InTex India project, CRB organized a knowledge-sharing session at Bharat Tex, convening key stakeholders from textile clusters across India. The session explored best practices, challenges, and policy pathways for advancing sustainability and circularity in the sector. Through dialogue and collaboration, it laid the groundwork for developing cluster-level roadmaps that enhance global value chain integration and drive sustainable transformation.
Field Visits
Centre for Responsible Business (CRB) facilitated discussions on the need for a structured sustainability roadmap to enhance fiber sourcing, production efficiency, and waste management in the Karur cluster. The visit involved interactions with government representatives and research & testing organisations.
The inauguration of the Mini Textile Park at Kullampatti also took place, providing an opportunity to align government initiatives with textile industry sustainability, particularly in technical textiles.
Centre for Responsible Business (CRB) conducted a field visit to the Karur textile cluster as part of its ongoing efforts to promote sustainability in the textile sector. The visit aimed to introduce industry stakeholders, including textile units and associations, to the upcoming project and CRB’s role in fostering sustainable and circular practices.
CRB engaged with key associations, textile manufacturers, and academic institutions to discuss sustainability challenges and opportunities. Notably, Karur’s textile ecosystem is making strides in adopting Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) systems, renewable energy, and recycling processes, yet challenges such as sludge waste management, post-consumer recycling, and ESG awareness persist.
CRB explored potential collaborations with manufacturers, associations, and educational institutions to drive sustainability initiatives. Moving forward, CRB will work closely with stakeholders to develop standardised sustainability frameworks, facilitate Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), and support SMEs in their transition to responsible production practices.
Partners
For further information, please contact
Devyani Hari
Senior Director,
Centre for Responsible Business
Email: devyani@c4rb.in
Liza Nagpal
Senior Programme Officer,
Centre for Responsible Business
Email: liza@c4rb.in
