CITI honoured sustainability leaders at the CITI Textile Sustainability Awards 2026 during Bharat Tex in New Delhi, with Union Minister Pabitra Margherita presenting the awards.
CITI also partnered with SLCP to help MSMEs meet ESG requirements.
Awards recognised excellence in sustainable manufacturing, energy efficiency, cotton, HR, innovation and academic contributions.
The awards ceremony brought together senior officials from the Ministry of Textiles, representatives from United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), global industry bodies and textile industry leaders to celebrate excellence in sustainability and responsible business practices.
The event also reinforced CITI’s commitment to advancing sustainable growth and promoting collaboration across the Indian textile industry.
Addressing the gathering, CITI Chairman Ashwin Chandran said, “We have always been committed to the Triple Bottom Line approach and to bringing stakeholders together to advance the cause of sustainability. The CITI Textile Sustainability Awards reflect that commitment by recognising innovation, collaboration and leadership in building a more sustainable textile industry.”
CITI partners with SLCP to strengthen ESG readiness
A key announcement at the event was CITI’s collaboration with the Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP) to help Indian textile manufacturers, particularly MSMEs, address evolving sustainability expectations, responsible business practices and human rights due diligence requirements.
SLCP is a multi-stakeholder initiative comprising brands, manufacturers, industry associations, civil society organisations and audit firms that works to promote decent working conditions across global supply chains.
Awards recognise sustainability excellence
The awards recognised achievements under two major segments:
The CITI Textile Sustainability Awards honoured excellence in climate-resilient cotton production, textile heritage revival, sustainable cluster development, energy efficiency, Kasturi Cotton promotion, HR excellence and academic contributions to sustainability.
The ‘CITI Birla Economic & Textile Research Foundation Awards’ recognised excellence in:
- Effective chemical management and compliance in textile wet processing
- Low carbon footprint initiatives in textile manufacturing
- Data-driven sustainability excellence in textile manufacturing
- Achieving ESG compliance through innovation
A Special Award was also presented to recognise a municipal corporation demonstrating outstanding leadership in waste management through effective collection, segregation, recycling and resource recovery.
Winners across categories
Among the major winners, Cottonguru Maha Farmers Producer Company Limited received the ‘CITI-IDH Climate Resilient and Inclusive Cotton Production Award,’ while Varaha ClimateAg Private Limited and Indo Count Foundation were named first and second runners-up, respectively.
Mauna Dhwani Foundation (MDF) won the ‘CITI-Aalekh Foundation Textiles Heritage Reviver Award,’ with Patakaara Fashion & Textile Design Studio and Ka-pore by Moumita securing the first and second runner-up positions.
The Tiruppur Exporters Association received the ‘CITI-UNIDO Best Cluster Initiative Towards Sustainable Textile Production Award,’ while Indo Count Industries Ltd won the ‘CITI-BEE Energy Efficiency in Textile Sector Award.’
Under the ‘CITI-TEXPROCIL Kasturi Cotton Mitra Award,’ Ram Lal (associated with CITI CDRA) emerged as the winner, followed by Narayan Lal (associated with CITI CDRA) and T Poochiappan.
Amit Cott Fibre won the ‘CITI-TEXPROCIL Leading Kasturi Cotton Ginner Award,’ with Shree Ram Fibres and Shree Vallabh Trading Company named first and second runners-up.
Brandix Apparel India Private Limited received the ‘CITI-RBC Best HR Practices Award,’ while Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International School of Textiles & Management (SVPISTM) was recognised as the Best Academic Institution for its contribution to sustainability.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (CG)
