The “Roadmap for Sustainable Textile Hub in India” study, jointly undertaken by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Ahmedabad, was officially launched at Bharat Tex 2024 by Smt. Darshana Jardosh, Minister of State for Textiles; Ms. Rachna Shah, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles; Ms. Prajakta Verma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles; and Mr. Atul Bagai, Head, UNEP India.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with the Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Ahmedabad, undertook a study to identify opportunities for minimizing the environmental impacts of the Indian textile industry and to develop a “Roadmap for Sustainable Textile Hub in India”.

The study was conducted as part of UNEP’s collaboration with the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, to promote cleaner production and circular economy approaches within the textile sector. Recognizing the sector’s economic significance and environmental footprint, the initiative focused on Surat, one of India’s largest textile manufacturing hubs.

Surat produces approximately 30 million metres of raw fabric and 25 million metres of processed fabric daily, including man-made, natural, and technical textiles. The cluster encompasses major industrial areas such as Pandesara, Palsana, Sachin, Udhana, and Kadodara, representing diverse segments of the textile value chain.

The study included baseline surveys, hotspot assessments, environmental footprint assessments, stakeholder consultations, and knowledge-sharing sessions to document existing practices and identify opportunities for sustainable transformation.

Based on the findings, a roadmap for transforming Surat into a Sustainable Textile Hub was developed, outlining priority interventions related to resource efficiency, circularity, environmental management, and stakeholder collaboration. The study also generated recommendations to support the sustainable transition of textile clusters in India and provides insights that can be adapted and replicated across other textile manufacturing regions in the country.

PROJECT LAUNCH

The “Roadmap for Sustainable Textile Hub in India” study, jointly undertaken by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Ahmedabad, was officially launched at Bharat Tex 2024 by Smt. Darshana Jardosh, Minister of State for Textiles; Ms. Rachna Shah, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles; Ms. Prajakta Verma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles; and Mr. Atul Bagai, Head, UNEP India.

TEXTILE INOVATION MELA

As part of the collaborative initiative with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on ‘Roadmap for a Sustainable Textile Hub in India’, Centre for Environment Education (CEE) in partnership with World Resources Institute (WRI) India and the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC) as Knowledge Partners, is organizing a Textile Innovation Mela, on November 21, 2022, in Surat. The mela aims to foster a dialogue between industry leaders and innovators and would showcase sustainable solutions for the Surat Textile Cluster.