She delivered the message in a webinar titled ‘Sustainability in Action: Exploring Circularity and Sustainable Solutions in the Textile Industry’ organised by Fairtrade India & Centre for Social Markets (CSM) in partnership with Fibre2Fashion on Wednesday. The event was supported by European Union and Switch Asia Grants Programme. 

Mahapatra noted the detrimental environmental impact of the textile industry on a global scale, highlighting its 20 per cent contribution to water pollution as reported by the World Bank. The textile industry is the largest job creator after agriculture in the country, and every stakeholder has an obligation to make it sustainable, she said, adding that the industry should consume water, energy, and other resources judiciously. 

She acknowledged that implementing sustainability in the industry requires considerable capital and financial backing. This support can foster renewable energy use, circularity, and certification. Retail brands must support the entire ecosystem. The industry should be encouraged and incentivised to ensure that companies in the value chain embrace sustainable practices. The government will not only consider offering institutional financial support but will also contemplate implementing a rating system for companies, Mahapatra added. 

The webinar thoroughly examined these issues through various sessions focused on sustainability and circularity. Experts in the field presented insights on various topics. 

Anjani Prasad, managing director and vice president (South Asia) of Archroma, Huntsman Textile Effects; Prasad Pant, South Asia director and Competence Centres director, ZDHC Foundation, Amsterdam; and Dr. Swapneshu Baser, managing director, Deven Supercriticals Pvt Ltd discussed ‘Reducing Toxic Chemical Use and Waste in Textiles’. 

The session on ‘Increasing Water Efficiency and Circularity in Textiles’ featured Dr. Vanita Prasad, founder, director and CTO, REVY Environmental Solutions Pvt Ltd and Ganesh Shankar, co-founder and CEO, FluxGen Tech. 

Speakers at a session on ‘Green and Circular Energy Solutions in Textiles’ included Dhwani Sunku, head of business development - growth and partnerships at U-Solar, Ajay Balachandran, regional manager of energy efficiency at Promethean Energy, and Ganesh Anantharaman, founder and managing partner at SAGS Apparels. 

The session on ‘Sustainability Standards in Textiles’ was addressed by Abhishek Jani, chief executive officer of Fairtrade India Project, and Binay Kumar Choudhury, chairman of Control Union India. 

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)