On the occasion of World Environment Day, industry leaders, policymakers, and international experts gathered in the capital yesterday for Circular Samvaad 2.0, a high-profile multi-stakeholder workshop focused on driving the Indian textile sector toward a circular and resource-efficient future.

The conference, titled "Circular Samvaad 2.0: Enhancing Circularity and Resource Efficiency in the Indian Textile Sector," was organized by GIZ India in close collaboration with the Ministry of Textiles and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The initiative operates under the broader EU-India Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Initiative (EU-I RECEI), co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV).

Driving the Narrative: Nature, art, and subcontinental identity

A key highlight of the event was an address by Dr. Rachna Arora of EU-I RECEI (GIZ India), who elegantly tied the technical necessity of sustainable manufacturing back to India's deeply rooted cultural history. She introduced a holistic perspective to the textile value chain, emphasizing that India's relationship with fabric has always been inherently connected to nature.

"I would like you to look at this sector of holistic living because, of course, the theme is actually nature and art," Dr. Rachna Arora stated during the session. "And I think the topic of textiles is very closely related to subcontinental art. We are just having a conversation in India and for all of us, the priority of course remains what we come out of art. The textile is something which is so close to our heart and we feel it everywhere. It is like a legacy we should make. The way the history of textiles is designed, it is about a holistic understanding of the creative. How close our textiles are, especially in India, it has been so close to nature."

Dr. Rachna Arora shared insights from ongoing field workshops, explaining that EU-I RECEI (GIZ India) has been gathering critical data over the past year to build ground-up solutions. She extended a warm welcome to the diverse audience, emphasizing that solving day-to-day industrial and environmental bottlenecks requires real-world data and multi-ministerial collaboration.

Moving Beyond Compliance: A national imperative

The Indian textile and apparel industry serves as a crucial cornerstone of the national economy, acting as a massive driver of employment and industrial growth. However, the sector faces mounting global scrutiny regarding resource usage and waste. With a staggering material intensity and rising volumes of both pre- and post-consumer textile waste, a shift away from the traditional linear "produce, use, and dispose" model is no longer optional.

Faced with impending trade changes—such as the upcoming ratification of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement and stringent European sustainability regulations, Indian manufacturers must transition to circular frameworks to maintain global market competitiveness.

To guide this transition, the event highlighted an ongoing National Study on Fostering Circular Economy in the Indian Textile Sector. This study actively looks to map the economic and employment potential of textile recycling, upcycling, and repair while aligning with emerging government frameworks like the Ministry of Textiles’ Textile Expansion and Employment (TEEM) Scheme and the Tex Eco Initiative.

A ‘Whole-of-Government’ and industry ecosystem

A defining theme of Circular Samvaad 2.0 was the recognition that the journey toward circularity is too complex for any single stakeholder to tackle alone. The event served as a collaborative bridge, uniting chambers of commerce, academic institutions, and a cross-section of ministries—including the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, to align on data-driven policy recommendations.

By prioritizing responsible production, traceability, and resource efficiency, India is positioning its textile value chain not just to meet baseline environmental compliance, but to lead the global fashion market as a preferred hub for sustainable manufacturing.

Walk into almost any Indian household, and you will find wardrobes harboring clothes that haven’t been worn in years. They aren't trash; they are memories. A saree passed down by a mother-in-law, a baby’s first outfit, a garment worn to a milestone celebration. In India, clothing is rarely just fabric; it is deeply emotional.

Yet, this sentimental attachment has inadvertently fueled a massive environmental crisis.

According to a landmark textile waste value chain report, India generates over 70 lakh (7 million) tons of textile waste annually. While the country's manufacturing sector successfully integrates pre-consumer waste back into production, the real challenge lies in what happens after a garment is bought. A staggering 58% of India's textile waste comes from post-consumer sources, with nearly two-thirds of discarded household apparel ending up in suffocating landfills or open dumps.

To tackle this specific hurdle, a powerhouse coalition teamed up including CMAI, Tisser, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), ReFiber, O’terri, World Trade Center Mumbai, and Lions International. On World Environment Day, they officially launched the ‘Mega Used Clothes Collection & Upcycling Initiative’, Mumbai's first-ever mega post-consumer textile waste collection campaign.

The target is ambitious but highly structured: to collect 20,000 kilograms of used clothing and household textiles, diverting them from landfills and funneling them directly into a sustainable upcycling ecosystem.

The psychological challenge of the Indian closet

Speaking as the Chief Guest at the event, Smt. Vrunda Desai, Textile Commissioner for the Ministry of Textiles, shifted the spotlight away from industrial mechanics and directly onto consumer psychology. "You need to understand a bit about the neuropsychological mentality of women," Commissioner Desai explained warmly to the gathering. "Earlier, women used to exchange their old clothes at the door for household utensils. Every cloth, every saree, everything has an emotion, a memory... We are not able to give things away quickly."

Desai proposed a radical, empathetic solution to bridge the gap between emotional hoarding and circular economics: a personalized circular system. "Through this initiative, if you say, 'You give us your old clothes, and we will make toys out of your clothes for your wedding, or we will make curtains out of them,' then people will like to recycle. They will upcycle their own things and own them proudly again. We have to actually inculcate it into our lifestyle."

Tech-Driven Solutions: The 'Recycle and Earn' ecosystem

Recognizing that emotional appeals work best when backed by seamless execution, the campaign is introducing dedicated technology to scale up collection. The backend engine of the movement relies on a dedicated application called Refiber, powered by O’terri.

The app functions on a simple premise: consumers place an order by entering the number of clothing items and their approximate weight, then choose a local laundry partner from an integrated ecosystem to drop it off or arrange a pickup.

The idea originally sparked from everyday ground-reality challenges faced by local laundry businesses. Customers would frequently leave old clothes behind for months. The team decided to introduce a feature called "Recycle and Earn" into their aggregator platform, offering customers service discounts valid for six months to a year in exchange for responsibly discarding their textiles.

To make the movement highly accessible, 50 permanent collection points have already been established across Mumbai, fully managed by specialized backend technology.

Furthermore, the Refiber app has launched an exclusive digital marketplace for upcycled products. A consumer can donate their old garments on one side of the application, and browse beautifully resurrected, upcycled consumer goods on the other.

Moving beyond charity to self-sustaining livelihoods

For CMAI and its partners, the metric of success for the Mega Upcyclon extends far beyond the sheer weight of fabric collected. It is fundamentally an initiative anchored in social impact and women's empowerment.

Through its partnership with Tisser, an organization working on the ground with a massive network of 20,000 women artisans and workers, the collected waste will be systematically sorted, refurbished, and hand-transformed into high-value consumer products like folders, lifestyle bags, and home upholstery.

Santosh Katariya, President of CMAI, emphasized that the old linear model of "take, make, and dispose" must be aggressively dismantled. "The transition towards a circular economy cannot be achieved by industry efforts alone," Katariya stated. "Today, it’s not just about collecting used garments, it’s about creating a movement. A movement that converts waste into opportunity, protects our environment, and empowers thousands of women through recycling. The success of this initiative will be measured by the number of lives we touch."

To ensure this model outlives the initial buzz of World Environment Day, the Ministry of Textiles is focusing heavily on fiscal self-sustainability. The project has successfully integrated its Textile Recovery Facility (TRF) models onto the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal. This ensures that the upcycled folders, corporate bags, and upholstery created by these women artisans can be directly procured by government offices and major national conferences.

As Dr. Pankaj Kumar, National Project Manager for UNIDO, noted during the launch, India is uniquely positioned to lead the global textile sector in developing green jobs, ensuring gender equality, and minimizing hazardous chemical footprints by giving discarded cloth a second life.

The message echoing from Mumbai’s green coalition is unmistakably clear: the future of fashion cannot remain linear. By transforming personal memories into local livelihoods, Mumbai is proving that what was once written off as closet waste is actually one of the country's most valuable, untapped resources.

In a landmark move to address the mounting crisis of post-consumer textile waste, the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) has launched the ‘Mega Used Clothes Upcyclon.’ Unveiled on June 5, 2026, to coincide with World Environment Day, the initiative represents a strategic effort to formalize textile recovery across the nation. By partnering with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and a coalition of sustainability-focused entities—including ReFiber, Oterri, Tisser, and Lions International  - CMAI is bridging the critical gap between sustainable manufacturing and responsible disposal.

Industry data suggests, nearly two-thirds of household apparel in India currently ends up in landfills or open dumps, with over 50 per cent of textile waste generated post-consumer. The ‘Mega Used Clothes Upcyclon’ aims to disrupt this linear waste stream by activating consumer participation on a massive scale. Through a collaboration with Tisser, which supports a network of over 20,000 women artisans, the campaign has set an ambitious immediate target: the collection and diversion of 20,000 kg of used clothing and household textiles.

Fostering sustainability through collective responsibility

The initiative underscores a shift in how the Indian apparel industry approaches environmental stewardship. Speaking at the launch in Mumbai, Vrunda Desai, Textile Commissioner, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, emphasized, systemic change necessitates a unified approach between industry leaders, policymakers, and the public. The transition toward a circular economy cannot be achieved by industry efforts alone, noted Santosh Katariya, President,  CMAI. By transforming discarded garments into economic and social value, the campaign seeks to normalize circularity as a daily practice for the average citizen.

Beyond the environmental mandate, the program serves a dual purpose: creating sustainable livelihood opportunities. The upcycling value chain, supported by women-led artisan networks, turns waste management into an engine for economic empowerment. This initiative follows CMAI’s recent successful staging of the inaugural ECO-STITCH Sustainability Conclave, which established a blueprint for cross-stakeholder collaboration in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) matters. According to Naveen Sainani, Honorary General Secretary and Chairman of the ESG Committee at CMAI, this is the foundational step in building an integrated ecosystem where consumers, recyclers, and manufacturers operate in a seamless, resource-efficient loop.

Institutional leadership in apparel sustainability

The launch represents a significant expansion of CMAI’s long-term sustainability agenda, which has evolved from the 2019 launch of the ‘SU.RE’ initiative to today’s consumer-facing activism. As the apex representative body for over 7,000 members and 50,000 retailers, CMAI continues to exert a profound influence on the regulatory and operational standards of the Indian textile sector. By leveraging its role as a bridge between the Government of India and the domestic trade, the association is actively shaping the future of fashion - one that prioritizes resource conservation and long-term industrial viability. This campaign signals that the next phase of India’s apparel evolution will be defined not just by output, but by the responsible management of every fiber within the value chain.

The Australian fashion sector is embarking on its most ambitious international trade effort to date, with the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) announcing a dedicated showroom at Paris Fashion Week Womenswear SS27. Running from September 28 to October 6, 2026, the initiative aims to transcend intermittent market forays by establishing a permanent, government-backed export infrastructure. By providing a curated platform for 15 selected designers - including emerging, established, and First Nations talent - the AFC is addressing a historical deficit in coordinated international market access. This development is part of the broader $50 million Accessing New Markets Initiative (ANMI), supported by Austrade and the NSW Government, designed to integrate Australian labels into the high-value European retail landscape.

Institutionalizing long-term export resilience

For the Australian apparel industry, which currently generates $7.2 billion in annual exports, this Paris activation serves as a ‘structural step-change.’ Rather than relying on individual promotional efforts, the program offers a comprehensive export readiness framework, including pre-departure training and direct engagement with international buyers at the Australian Ambassador’s Residence. Marianne Perkovic, Executive Chairman, AFC, emphasized, the goal is to foster sustained commercial relationships rather than fleeting appearances. By aligning with the NSW Fashion Sector Strategy 2025–2028, the council is ensuring that participants receive the necessary logistical and financial support to navigate complex global trade environments. This move not only enhances the international footprint of domestic brands but also secures the industry's role as a vital economic engine, supporting approximately 489,000 jobs across the nation.

Peak national body for fashion and textile industry

The Australian Fashion Council (AFC) serves as the peak national body for the fashion and textile industry, representing a $27.2 billion sector. Its core mandate involves policy advocacy, trade diversification, and workforce development. Historically fragmented, the industry is now undergoing a digital and export-led modernization to drive long-term international competitiveness.

The Indian apparel industry is witnessing a definitive structural shift as domestic manufacturers trade traditional workflows for data-centric precision. The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) recently spearheaded this transition at a Mumbai-based masterclass, where over 600 stakeholders explored the integration of machine learning into garment production and retail supply chains. By replacing legacy estimation methods with predictive analytics, firms are targeting a 15 per cent reduction in deadstock inventory—a critical margin booster in a sector historically plagued by overproduction. Dr CA Umang Ratani, leading the session, demonstrated how accessible AI frameworks now allow small-to-medium enterprises to automate demand forecasting and optimize fabric utilization, effectively leveling the competitive playing field against global giants.

Digital ecosystems as growth engines

Beyond operational refinement, the industry is accelerating its digital connectivity through centralized platforms like the newly launched CMAI Connect mobile application. This development serves as a strategic infrastructure piece, aggregating policy updates, networking, and procurement resources into a single digital hub. Santosh Katariya, President, CMAI, underscored, the association is not merely advocating for technological adoption but is institutionalizing comprehensive support systems, including enhanced insurance benefits to bolster member security. As manufacturers integrate these digital tools, the focus remains on transforming raw data into actionable retail intelligence, ensuring that the Indian textile sector maintains its global manufacturing relevance amidst shifting consumer demand and supply chain volatility.

Focus on digital modernization and enhanced services

The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India acts as the apex body for the domestic apparel sector, representing thousands of manufacturers, retailers, and exporters. Focusing on trade facilitation and policy advocacy, CMAI provides critical support for industry scaling. Historically established to unify the fragmented garment trade, the organization now prioritizes digital modernization, enterprise sustainability, and enhanced member services to ensure long-term sector viability.

The Indian textile and apparel sector has gained significant institutional leverage with the induction of industry stalwarts KM Subramanian and Naren Goenka into the Board of Trade (BoT). As the government’s primary advisory body, the BoT oversees trade facilitation and international competitiveness, and these appointments signal a shift toward more practitioner-led policy formulation. By integrating leaders who command vast manufacturing networks, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is positioning the sector to better navigate global headwinds, including shifting market preferences toward circularity and technical textiles.

Advancing competitiveness amid global turbulence

The move comes at a critical juncture as Indian exporters grapple with regional demand fluctuations and evolving environmental compliance standards in the European and North American markets. KM Subramanian, representing the Tiruppur knitwear hub, and Naren Goenka, a veteran of large-scale garment manufacturing, are expected to prioritize infrastructure optimization and trade facilitation. Industry analysts suggest, their presence will be instrumental in addressing the current cost-competitiveness challenges faced by domestic players against regional rivals. With recent breakthroughs like the India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) providing tariff advantages, the focus is now squarely on scaling production capacity while integrating sustainable, tech-driven manufacturing practices to capture a larger share of the global value chain.

Powering the value chain

The Indian textile industry remains a foundational pillar of the national economy, emphasizing a shift from traditional cotton-based exports to high-value technical textiles and functional activewear. Companies such as KM Knitwear and Texport Industries exemplify this evolution, utilizing vertically integrated models to provide end-to-end solutions for global retailers. These firms focus on scalable manufacturing, consistent quality, and global supply chain integration.

With an increasing emphasis on sustainable materials - such as recycled polyester and eco-friendly fibers - the sector is reorienting toward high-growth markets to bolster long-term fiscal performance and maintain its status as a primary employment generator.

The US textile and apparel manufacturing sector is poised for a strategic revitalization following the recent passage of the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by the House Armed Services Committee. This legislative development introduces rigorous reporting requirements that mandate greater transparency and compliance regarding the Berry Amendment. By compelling the Department of Defense (DOD) to audit waiver usage and evaluate supplier verification practices, the bill aims to close loopholes that have historically allowed non-domestic sourcing. For domestic manufacturers, this shift is instrumental in stabilizing the industrial base, as it prioritizes American-made textiles for mission-critical defense operations, effectively safeguarding the $1.8 billion in advanced materials supplied to the military annually.

Enhancing industrial resilience and compliance

Beyond immediate procurement gains, the NDAA addresses long-term supply chain vulnerabilities by directing examinations into flame-resistant textile production capacity and the feasibility of tightening small-purchase exceptions from $150,000 to $20,000. These measures are critical for domestic firms operating within a landscape of global logistics volatility and customs fraud. Kim Glas, President and CEO, National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), noted, these provisions send a clear signal regarding the strategic necessity of maintaining a robust domestic supply chain. By aligning contracting strategies with the long-term health of the industry, the legislation creates a structured environment where domestic manufacturers can reliably meet the sophisticated requirements of the Armed Forces while reinforcing national security readiness.

Representing the complete supply chain

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) serves as the primary Washington, D.C.-based trade association for the U.S. textile sector. It represents the complete supply chain, from fiber production to finished apparel. The organization focuses on policy advocacy and trade enforcement to sustain over 450,000 domestic jobs and promote sector-wide growth. Historically instrumental in protecting domestic manufacturing, NCTO continues to champion trade policies that boost the industry’s $60.9 billion annual output, ensuring the long-term viability of high-tech textile production within the United States.

In a move to capture the surging demand for hyper-personalised athletic apparel, Italian sportswear manufacturer Erreà has overhauled its textile printing infrastructure. The company has decommissioned a cumbersome fleet of 28 legacy printers, replacing them with a streamlined, high-performance configuration of seven industrial Mimaki systems. This transition to a unified digital workflow marks a decisive step toward resolving the industry-wide challenge of balancing mass-market output with the rapid turnaround times required for bespoke team kits and federated orders.

Precision performance in on-demand manufacturing

The newly installed setup features a hybrid approach, pairing three industrial Tiger600-1800TS dye-sublimation printers with four agile TS330-1600 units. By centralizing operations, Erreà has successfully integrated its sampling and creative design processes in Italy with primary production in Romania. This strategic consolidation ensures rigorous color consistency across different geographical sites—a critical metric for maintaining brand identity at scale. Angelo Gandolfi, Founder and CEO of Erreà, emphasizes that this investment is central to the company’s evolution, stating that the ability to bridge the gap between high-volume efficiency and small-batch agility is what distinguishes modern market leaders. By simplifying machine maintenance and optimizing floor space, Erreà is now better positioned to navigate the complexities of the current athleisure-driven market.

Direct-to-garment digital manufacturing

Founded in 1988, Erreà is an Italian technical sportswear manufacturer operating in 80 countries. It specializes in high-performance athletic apparel for clubs in football, volleyball, and basketball. The company focuses on expanding its technical product lines like ActiveTense, maintaining steady growth by prioritizing innovation, design, and direct-to-garment digital manufacturing excellence.

A global fashion infrastructure and supply chain solutions provider, PDS Limited has secured the Great Place to Work certification across ten countries, including India, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. Based on direct feedback from nearly 90 per cent of its international workforce,this recognition underscores the company's commitment to fostering a high-trust, inclusive environment. Sanjay Jain, Group CEO, noted that this certification is a validation of the company's belief that empowering individuals to thrive creates extraordinary outcomes for global stakeholders. As PDS navigates a complex trade landscape defined by evolving U.S. tariffs and geopolitical uncertainties, the company is positioning its organizational culture as a core competitive advantage. This people-centric strategy complements a robust operational performance, with the company’s Q4 FY26 profit after tax surging 95 per cent Q-o-Q to Rs 72 crore, supported by heightened operating leverage and successful cost-transformation initiatives.

Operational agility and future outlook

The recent recognition coincides with PDS Limited’s strong financial finish to the FY26, where consolidated revenue reached Rs 13,110 crore. The firm has successfully reduced net debt to Rs 105 crore from Rs 374 crore in the previous year, demonstrating fiscal discipline in an era of supply chain disruption. A key component of this stability is the integration of AI-enabled digital platforms, such as Project Pulse, which streamlines sourcing and data management across its global network. By digitizing the value chain, PDS aims to maintain its momentum in the North American retail ecosystem while managing an order book that grew 11 percent to Rs 5,074 crore as of early April. Looking ahead, the company continues to invest in sustainable material science and specialized brand management, reinforcing its role as an essential partner for international apparel retailers seeking agility in a volatile global market.

Global fashion solutions expert

PDS Limited is a global design-led sourcing and manufacturing platform serving leading international retailers. The company specializes in apparel, home products, and accessories. It focuses on sustainable, technology-driven supply chain management. PDS reported a strong FY26 with significant margin improvements and is currently scaling its global brand portfolio.

Mango is set to aggressively scale its physical presence in Italy through a landmark partnership with the iconic department store chain, Coin. The agreement entails the opening of 22 new Mango-operated retail locations within select Coin stores between September 2026 and the end of 2027. This collaboration serves as a tactical expansion maneuver, leveraging Coin’s established national footprint to embed Mango’s Mediterranean-inspired lifestyle offerings into high-traffic, premium retail environments. This move is particularly significant as it follows a record-breaking year for the brand in Italy, where it achieved a 30 per cent turnover growth in 2025 and marked its 25^th anniversary of operations in the country.

Merging heritage with contemporary retail concepts

The integration of Mango’s ‘New Med’ store design into Coin’s historic department stores aims to harmonize two distinct brand identities. These new outposts, ranging from 400 to 1,000 square meters, will house the brand’s full Woman, Man, and Kids collections. Daniel López, Chief Expansion and Franchise Officer, Mango, noted that the initiative is designed to elevate the consumer experience by placing the brand's creative proposition in prime locations. This agreement represents a milestone for our expansion strategy in Italy, allowing us to provide consumers with an immersive and comprehensive brand experience within an established and respected retail platform, López stated. The rollout commences in 2026 with eight locations, including Bari, Catania, and Rome, before expanding to northern hubs like Genova, Como, and Trieste by 2027.

Sustaining momentum through strategic capital deployment

This expansion aligns with Mango’s broader global growth trajectory, which saw the company report revenues of €3.8 billion in 2025, a 13 per cent Y-o-Y increase. Having invested nearly €225 million in 2025 toward store network refurbishments and technological upgrades, Mango continues to prioritize its omnichannel efficiency. For Coin, the partnership reinforces its status as a leading brand platform, providing a curated setting for international labels to optimize their local market penetration. As the company continues to outperform industry averages, this partnership underscores a shift toward collaborative, high-impact retail models that maximize operational efficiency while minimizing the challenges associated with standalone real estate expansion.

Mango is a leading international fashion group that designs, manufactures, and markets apparel and accessories for women, men, and children. Headquartered in Spain, the brand is currently focused on an aggressive global expansion and omnichannel growth. Following record 2025 performance, it continues to invest heavily in its retail and digital ecosystem.