At the Sankalp Bharat Summit 2024 in Varanasi, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) are pleased to present the first-ever circularity guidelines for the Indian textile and apparel industry. A number of dignitaries, including government representatives, industry executives, and sustainability specialists, attended the occasion, underscoring the importance of this milestone for the Indian textile apparel industry. This project is the result of a three-year partnership that aims to improve the Indian textile industry by focusing on sustainable development, innovation, and the concepts of the circular economy.
The detailed handbook “Stitching the Circle: A Roadmap for Circular Textiles & Apparel in India” was created to help textile companies make the shift from a linear to a circular economy model. With the same objective of promoting sustainability, cutting waste, and encouraging resource efficiency throughout the textile value chain, it summarizes a number of projects carried out during ABFRL and GIZ’s cooperative journey.
ABFRL and GIZ’s collaboration started with the goal of tackling the urgent environmental issues brought on by the textile sector. The partnership has led a number of significant projects over the last three years with the goal of revolutionizing India’s textile industry. These efforts included the Circularity Innovation Challenge 2023 to promote sustainable solutions, a thorough baseline survey to evaluate the level of circularity today, and the statewide training program “Decoding Circularity Together” to empower stakeholders throughout the textile value chain. In order to increase awareness and motivate action, ABFRL and GIZ also carried out pilot projects to include circular solutions into the textile supply chain. These projects were chronicled in an engaging way.
“Our three-year partnership with GIZ has been a transformative journey that showcases the true power of industry collaboration in achieving a meaningful change,” said Ashish Dikshit, Managing Director, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. The introduction of these circularity principles is a turning point in our history, demonstrating our steadfast dedication to working with the fashion industry to promote sustainability and the growth of a circular textile ecosystem.”
Adding to this, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. Chief Sustainability Officer Dr. Naresh Tyagi said, “ABFRL and GIZ have collaborated to develop circular guidelines and other initiatives that industry players can utilize to work in a holistic manner, benefiting both the environment and society.”
Senior Advisor, Climate Change and Circular Economy at GIZ India Meghana Kshirsagar highlighted GIZ’s viewpoint, saying, “As a partner for international cooperation for sustainable development, we are committed to building a future worth living in.” The collaboration with ABFRL holds significant promise for introducing and expanding resource efficiency and circular economy strategies in the Indian textile sector. We believe that bringing together the strengths of public and private sector partners produces a win-win situation that benefits private enterprises’ operations as well as local populations’ growth.
The recently released recommendations offer practical methods for changing from a linear to a circular economy paradigm. Among its components is the 6R Approach (Redesign, Reduce, Reuse, Remanufacture, Recycle, Regenerate), which offers a framework for the textile industry to improve circularity and resource efficiency while reducing waste. In order to gauge circularity inside the organization and promote compliance with international sustainability certifications, the manifesto also establishes Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
The recommendations provide Indian companies looking to incorporate circularity into all aspects of production—from procuring sustainable materials to involving customers in circular activities—with case studies and best practices. The goal of the document is to encourage all stakeholders in the value chain—from producers to legislators—to work together to create a sustainable textile ecosystem in India.
In ABFRL and GIZ’s joint path towards sustainability, the guidelines’ introduction at the Sankalp Bharat Summit 2024 represents a significant turning point. The collaboration has established a standard for the Indian textile industry, demonstrating how circular business models may lessen their negative effects on the environment while fostering innovation and expansion. ABFRL and GIZ are dedicated to carrying on with their efforts to empower stakeholders, grow pilot projects, and encourage the industry-wide adoption of circular methods.
