At the 2nd Sustainable Textiles Summit, which was hosted in New Delhi by the PHDCCI, Prajakta L. Verma, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Textiles, emphasized the importance of recycling, traceability, and the promotion of sustainable practices within the textile industry.
She explained the contradictory character of the textile sector, which produces the second most jobs worldwide and is also the second most environmentally harmful industry in the world.
Traceability was emphasized as a first step, as exemplified by initiatives such as the Kasturi Cotton Initiative. Public procurement is one of the most significant strategies to raise awareness of recycled and circular products. Ms. Verma proposed a combined approach of upcycling and recycling to address the issue of managing textile waste, setting up experimental
She emphasized the need for improved knowledge of and adherence to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles in her closing remarks. She emphasized the need to distinguish between compliance driven by fear and genuine concern for employees. She also provided an overview of ongoing projects, including a program that will be launched soon to increase MSMEs’ knowledge and strengthen their capacity in the fields of sustainability and circularity.
Madhu Sudhan Bhageria, the Chairman of the PHDCCI Textiles Committee and the Chairman and Managing Director of Filatex India Ltd., emphasized the critical role that Target Initiatives play in supporting the Indian textile industries in the face of the worldwide shift toward sustainability. He emphasized the need of taxation and financial support for sustainability and asked the Ministry of Textiles to consider the PHDCCI’s recommendations.
Other notable speakers at the session included Dr. Srikanta K. Panigrahi, Director General of the Indian Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD) and Former Secretary of the Government of India; Debabrata Ghosh, Vice President & Sales Director, Oerlikon Textile India Private Limited; Anil Jadhav, Regional Director, South Asia & Middle East, Ecocert; Abhishek Jani, CEO, Fairtrade India; and Vineet Kumar, CEO, KVIC.
