Indian textile clusters lead sustainability drive: Textiles secretary

In her keynote address, Rao stated that sustainability is an experiential reality, evident in textile clusters like Tiruppur, Surat, and Panipat, where efforts such as wastewater recycling, renewable energy adoption, and textile waste management are already underway. While the industry has made commendable progress, she stressed the need to scale these measures nationally through a collaborative and cooperative approach. She underlined that sustainability is no longer a choice, but a defining imperative for the future of India’s textile sector.

Rohit Kansal, additional secretary, Ministry of Textiles, highlighted that sustainability is inherent to India’s traditions and practices. He emphasised the growing imperative for sustainability in the textile sector and outlined the actions being undertaken by various stakeholders, including the government. He spoke about the importance of cluster-level conversations, the industry’s proactive efforts in skilling, and the need to embed sustainability deeply across the value chain. He underscored that sustainability must evolve beyond a compliance requirement into a competitive advantage for Indian textiles on the global stage, the ministry said in a press release.

The meeting featured a consultation on the draft Roadmap 2047 for a sustainable, circular, and resource-efficient Indian textile industry, with discussions focusing on several key areas. These included building awareness across the value chain—from large industry players and MSMEs to consumers and students—along with capacity building, R&D, innovation, and knowledge dissemination. Stakeholders also deliberated on the need for a unified and harmonised framework for sustainability standards and certification, a simplified compliance regime, and a balance between voluntary and regulatory mechanisms to advance circularity. The discussion further highlighted the importance of aligning national policy with evolving global expectations around ESG compliance, green finance, and responsible consumption.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment from all stakeholders to actively contribute to the revised policy framework.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)