Texprocil, the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council, has embraced blockchain-based technology to enhance the traceability of garments and fabrics made from Kasturi cotton through QR codes. As part of this initiative, the Indian government has designated the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and Texprocil as the principal agencies responsible for promoting Kasturi as a premium cotton brand from India.
Texprocil has successfully onboarded 300 ginners onto its platform, which serves as a certification gateway for the premium 29-30 mm Kasturi cotton with a 2% trash content and other specified parameters. This premium cotton variety is expected to yield an additional 5-6% income for farmers. CCI’s Chairman and Managing Director, Lalit Kumar Gupta, stated that an initial output of 300 quintals of Kasturi cotton is projected during the inaugural year of production. Gupta also emphasized that the cotton’s volume will surge in subsequent years as farmers recognize the advantages of cultivating cotton that satisfies the requirements for Kasturi branding.
Under the theme “Cotton Value Chain: Local Innovations for Global Prosperity,” the 81st plenary meeting of the International Cotton Advisory Committee was launched in Mumbai. Indian Textile Commissioner Roop Rashi revealed that the event aims to provide a platform for sharing exemplary practices and global experiences about productivity, climate resilience, and the circularity of a thriving cotton economy. Rashi also highlighted that Piyush Goyal, India’s Minister of Textiles, will inaugurate the official logo and stamp for the Kasturi cotton brand, facilitating its promotion on an international scale.
Texprocil’s Executive Director Siddhartha Rajagopal unveiled the certification process, stating that CCI will identify farmers interested in selling cotton complying with Kasturi specifications and then verify the cotton bales to provide certification. Following certification, a QR code will be generated, and a unique identifier will be continuously updated during subsequent transfers from ginners to spinners and weavers. Ultimately, the final Kasturi cotton garment will bear a QR code, allowing consumers to trace the cotton back to its ginner, Rajagopal added.
