Bharat Tex 2026’s third day focused on circularity, sustainable sourcing, financing, skills and technology to strengthen India’s textile industry.
Discussions brought together policymakers, global brands, investors and industry leaders, while Madhya Pradesh promoted its textile investment potential.
Sessions also emphasised traceability, ESG compliance and export competitiveness.
Sustainability and circularity remained central to the programme. The United Nations Development Programme session on the India Sustainable Textile Mark featured Ms. Nalini Shekar, Co-Founder, Hasiru Dala, and focused on establishing a credible social and environmental benchmark for Indian textiles and apparel. The session “Wheat Straw to Wardrobes” featured Dr. Ravinder Tuteja, Material Program Lead, H&M, and explored the development of next-generation textile fibres from agricultural residue. The roundtable “Circular Textile: From Dialogue to Deployment”, featuring Archish Kansal, Director, Respun, focused on translating circularity commitments into practical and scalable solutions. The discussion “Fair Commodity Pricing: An Industry Model for an Equitable and Resilient Organic Cotton Value Chain” featured Jagjeet Singh Kandal, Country Director, India, IDH India Hub Private Limited, and Ms. Danique Lodewijks, Sustainable Raw Materials Manager, Bestseller. The session underlined the need for transparent pricing, protection of farmer interests and long-term partnerships across the organic cotton value chain. The panel “Financing a Globally Competitive, Sustainable, Inclusive Supply Chain”, featuring Aakash Shah, Partner, Peak Sustainability Ventures, examined financing mechanisms for resilient and responsible textile supply chains.
The Better Cotton Initiative roundtable “Dialogue for Sustainable Sourcing Solutions to Drive Textile Trade” brought together Ms. Eva Benavidez Clayton, Senior Director of Demand and Engagement, Better Cotton Initiative; Paul Wright, Group Environmental, Social and Governance Executive Director, PDS Limited; Anant Ahuja, Director of Environmental, Social and Governance and Sustainability, Shahi Exports Private Limited; Dilip Kumar, Traceability Manager, Marks and Spencer; and Srinivasan Krishnamurthy, Material Development Lead, IKEA Group. The deliberations focused on responsible sourcing, traceability and stronger collaboration among brands, manufacturers and suppliers to support sustainable textile trade. The roundtable “Weaving Capital In: Investor Perspectives on India’s Textile Sustainability Journey” featured Ms. Ranjna Khanna, Senior Director, Programs, Impact Investors Council; Jai Kumar Gaurav, Senior Advisor for Climate Change and Circular Economy, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit; and Dr. Priya Nagaraj, Head, Green Economy and Innovation, Council on Energy, Environment and Water. The discussion examined investment in clean technologies, circular business models and inclusive enterprises across India’s textile sector.
The e-commerce masterclass “From Bharat to the World”, featuring Pulkit Nanda, Head of New Seller Recruitment, Global Sales, Amazon Global Selling, highlighted how export preparedness and digital marketplaces can help Indian textile enterprises reach global customers. A fireside conversation with Dr. M. Beena, IAS, Development Commissioner for Handlooms, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, and Ms. Priyambada Jayakumar, Author and Historian, reflected on India’s handloom heritage, the contribution of weavers and artisans, and the importance of connecting traditional knowledge with contemporary markets. The day concluded with the “Sustainability Conclave: Learnings and Takeaways — Closing Plenary Session,” featuring Ms. Aarti Mohan, Co-Founder and Partner, Sattva Media and Consulting Private Limited, which consolidated the day’s key insights and called for coordinated action across finance, sourcing, technology, skills and circularity.
A panel discussion “Why Indian Fabric Players Struggle to Integrate into Garmenting and What It Will Take to Succeed” included Shreyaskar Chaudhary, Managing Director, Pratibha Syntex Limited, and Kartikayan Ravichandran, Associate Partner, Vector Consulting Group. The session examined the operational and strategic capabilities required for Indian fabric manufacturers to expand successfully into garment production. The masterclass on “Integrating Sustainable Chemical Management Frameworks into Policy”, led by Saket Damodar Kulkarni, Senior Regional Manager for South Asia, ZDHC Foundation, discussed responsible chemical management, stronger environmental, social and governance compliance and internationally aligned production practices to support India-European Union textile trade.
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Fibre2Fashion News Desk (JP)
