Gaps, challenges and drivers for environmentally sustainable textile and garment manufacturing in India

The document analyzes India's complex textile value chain, highlighting significant environmental pollution from water-intensive cotton production and toxic dyeing processes. It identifies a fragmented supply chain, high competition, and outdated technology as primary barriers to sustainability, while suggesting that increased stakeholder collaboration, government incentives, and a shift toward 'slow fashion' could drive a sustainable transition.

• India possesses a comprehensive textile manufacturing value chain, encompassing all stages from fibre production to ready-made garment production, which reduces its dependence on raw material imports compared to neighbouring countries.
• The industry has a significant economic and social footprint, employing approximately 45 million people in 2022 and contributing about 2% of India's GDP.
• Textile manufacturing in India causes severe environmental degradation, with dyeing and treatment processes accounting for nearly 20% of total water pollution.
• The sector is characterized by a stark divide between an organized sector with integrated technology and an unorganized sector that contributed around 80% of total garment production as of 2018, often suffering from technology obsolescence.
• The most significant barriers to a sustainable transition are supply chain related, specifically the extreme fragmentation of the sector where only 5% of fabric is produced in organized mills and 57% in decentralized power looms.
• Hyper-competition and unstable ordering patterns from global brands discourage manufacturers from investing in sustainable practices due to financial uncertainty.
• Infrastructural gaps, including a lack of domestic technological development and high power costs (nine cents per kilowatt-hour compared to five cents in China and Bangladesh), hinder the adoption of green technologies.
• Key drivers for sustainability include increased trust and long-term collaboration among stakeholders, as well as the development of mega textile parks to enable shared sustainable infrastructure like wastewater treatment plants.
• The Indian government has implemented various policies to support the sector, including the Zero Liquid Discharge Policy (2014) and the Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (2016), though implementation and accountability remain challenges.
• A transition to circularity requires a shift in consumer behavior toward 'slow fashion' to increase garment lifespans, as adding nine months of active use could reduce carbon, waste, and water footprints by 20–30%.

APA

Nikam, J. (2023). Gaps, challenges and drivers for environmentally sustainable textile and garment manufacturing in India. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/sustainable-garment-manufacturing-india-sei2023.033.pdf

Chicago

Nikam, Jaee. Gaps, challenges and drivers for environmentally sustainable textile and garment manufacturing in India. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2023. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/sustainable-garment-manufacturing-india-sei2023.033.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nikam |first1=Jaee |title=Gaps, challenges and drivers for environmentally sustainable textile and garment manufacturing in India |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=May 2023 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/sustainable-garment-manufacturing-india-sei2023.033.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nikam2023gaps, author = {Nikam, Jaee}, title = {{Gaps, challenges and drivers for environmentally sustainable textile and garment manufacturing in India}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2023}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/sustainable-garment-manufacturing-india-sei2023.033.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }