Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh urged Indian brands to build on quality, sustainability and traceability alongside quantity, at the 'Indian Brands, Global Ambitions' session of Bharat Tex 2026 on 16 July 2026. He also called for greater support to manufacturers, artisans and weavers.
The session was part of the third day of Bharat Tex 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, where panels, roundtables and masterclasses covered circularity, responsible sourcing, financing, skills and global trade.
India's textile and apparel exports reached approximately INR 3.16 lakh crore in 2025-26, against a target of INR 9 lakh crore by 2030. An expanding network of free trade agreements (FTAs) is opening access to major markets. More than 20 panellists took part.
Speakers asked why Indian cotton is often processed and branded elsewhere, and proposed a central institution for global brand-building on the lines of NASSCOM. They listed a trust mark, sample logistics support, incentives for business-to-consumer exports and AI-enabled regional-language solutions as enablers. Amazon Global Selling's Srinidhi Kalvapudi said the platform supports over two lakh sellers and that "building brands is no longer optional; it is existential."
Designers stressed authenticity. Rahul Mishra urged authenticity over altering designs for every geography, and Nand Kishore Chaudhary said authentic storytelling is a brand's strongest defence. Jawed Ashraf, Chairman of the India Trade Promotion Organisation, said "Made in India" must signify high standards. Textiles Secretary Neelam Shami Rao called for stronger designer houses, shared infrastructure and e-commerce visibility.
The sustainability track included a United Nations Development Programme session on the India Sustainable Textile Mark, a talk on fibres from agricultural residue, and a discussion on fair pricing in the organic cotton value chain. Other panels examined financing for clean technologies and circular business models. A Better Cotton Initiative roundtable discussed responsible sourcing and traceability, and a ZDHC Foundation masterclass covered chemical management for India-European Union textile trade. A closing Sustainability Conclave called for coordinated action across finance, sourcing, technology, skills and circularity.
Textiles and apparel contribute about 2% of GDP and nearly 11% of manufacturing GVA, and directly employ over 45 million people. India manages nearly 7.8 million tonnes of textile waste a year. More than 70% is recovered for recycling, upcycling, downcycling or reuse, and the recovery ecosystem supports 40-45 lakh livelihoods. Panipat processes around 3,500-5,250 tonnes daily, Katran Market in Mongolpuri supplies over 10 tonnes of sorted cutting waste a day, and Navi Mumbai has a municipal textile recovery facility.
On inputs, the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) sets organic standards and accredits certifiers. Jute-ICARE has grown from 130 blocks in seven states to 289 blocks in ten states, and the National Fibre Scheme supports natural, man-made and new-age fibres. On chemicals, India has restricted benzidine-based dyes and prohibited handling of 70 azo dyes.
Seven PM MITRA Parks have been approved with an outlay of ₹4,445 crore up to 2027-28, and include common effluent treatment plants and wastewater recycling. For MSMEs, which account for over 80% of production capacity, the RAMP Programme supports green transition, and MSE-SPICE gives a 25% capital subsidy for circular-economy investments.
Greenhouse Gas Emission Intensity targets bring textiles under the Indian Carbon Market through the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme. Obligated entities must disclose Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and can earn or buy Carbon Credit Certificates. The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, enforced from 1 April 2026 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, promote segregation, circularity and extended producer responsibility (EPR). Industries using solid fuel must raise Refuse Derived Fuel use from 5% to 15% over six years, which can include non-recyclable textile waste.
The 2026 report Mapping of Textile Waste Value Chain in India sets out a blueprint for recycling and resource recovery. The Eco-Mark Scheme, 2024 covers textiles under 13 notified Indian Standards, and Kasturi Cotton and Silk Mark strengthen identity and traceability. A 2024 MoU among the Textiles Committee, Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and SCOPE seeks to institutionalise public procurement of upcycled products.
Voluntary efforts include the SURE (Sustainable Resolution) commitment, led by CMAI, Reliance Brands Limited, the United Nations in India and the Ministry of Textiles. The Circle Back campaign targets students, and an ESG Task Force encourages knowledge-sharing. The textile-recycling sector is projected to reach about USD 3.5 billion by 2030 and generate nearly one lakh green jobs.
With reference to the policy measures for sustainable textiles, consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Consider the following statements about the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 and the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme:
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Consider the following pairs:
Item : Description
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
