The adoption of sustainable and circular practices is increasingly becoming a necessity due to buyer demands, tightening national and international regulations, climate change risks, resource depletion, investor focus, and evolving consumer preferences. In response, brands set ambitious sustainability targets, but these are often developed without input from supply chain actors, leading to top-down imposition.

To address this gap, Centre for Responsible Business (CRB), in partnership with the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) and supported by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), has identified key priorities to drive the development of a circular economy model within Ludhiana’s textile clusters. The priorities include clean energy adoption, wastewater management, sustainable chemical practices, and textile waste reduction. This project presents a significant opportunity to create an industry-led roadmap for establishing a circular textile cluster in Ludhiana and to showcase the good practices and innovations already in place. The stakeholders for this project include industry associations, textile & apparel manufacturers and suppliers, brands, government bodies, financers, innovators, academics, and civil society organisations, among others.