PR No – 172
18th September 2025
New Delhi
PHDCCI’s 4th Sustainable Textile Summit 2025 Lights the Path Towards a Greener Future
New Delhi, 18th September 2025: The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) successfully hosted the 4th edition of the Sustainable Textile Summit (STS) at PHD House, New Delhi. The summit, themed “Innovating Towards a Sustainable Future: Collaborative Strategies in the Textile Industry”, witnessed the convergence of senior government officials, industry leaders, global experts, and innovators who came together to deliberate on how India’s textile sector can lead the way in global sustainability.
The day began with the lamp lighting ceremony, graced by Chief Guest, Mr. Rajinder Kumar, Economic Advisor, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India and other Panellists. Delivering the Welcome Address, Mr. R.K. Vij, Co-Chair, PHDCCI Textiles Committee & Secretary General, Polyester Textiles Apparel Industries Association, extended a warm greeting to the distinguished guests. He called upon the government to provide targeted incentives for recycling and sustainability, urging stronger public-private-global partnerships to help MSMEs adopt clean technologies. His address concluded with a powerful reminder: “Together, we weave a sustainable tomorrow.”
Chief Guest, Mr. Rajinder Kumar, Economic Advisor, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, reaffirmed the Government of India’s commitment to positioning India as a global hub for sustainable textiles . He spoke about government policies such as PLI schemes, integrated textile parks, and recycling mandates, stressing that sustainability is now at the heart of India’s textile roadmap. He encouraged industry leaders to align with India’s climate commitments, adopt circular production, and collaborate with the government on sustainable growth initiatives.
Ms. Roop Rashi, CEO, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Ministry of MSME emphasized that Khadi has always represented eco-friendly and people-centric production. She described Khadi as not merely a fabric but a movement of sustainability and rural empowerment, where production is rooted in nature, and communities are at the centre of value creation. She urged the industry to learn from Khadi’s model of minimal environmental footprint, decentralized production, and social inclusion.
Dr. Pankaj Kumar, National Project Coordinator, representing UNIDO, highlighted UNIDO’s global initiatives – including circular economy projects in Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt – and India-specific projects such as eliminating hazardous chemicals from fashion supply chains, promoting renewable energy in Surat and Varanasi clusters, and fostering MSME capacity for clean technologies.
Mr. Debabrata Ghosh, Vice President & Head of Sales & Marketing, Oerlikon Textile India Pvt. Ltd., presented advanced Barmag technologies, he explained how machine innovations are enabling textile-to-textile recycling, smart factory integration, and significant energy savings. Also, highlighting Oerlikon’s commitment to net-zero by 2050, and called upon the industry to adopt scalable solutions for recycling and circularity.
Mr. Rajeev Gupta, Joint Managing Director, RSWM Limited, highlighted the Indian perspective on innovating towards sustainability. He reminded participants that sustainability has long been part of Indian tradition – from reusing clothes across generations to repurposing fabrics into quilts and cleaning cloths. His presentation also highlighted RSWM’s own sustainability initiatives, including PET bottle recycling, renewable energy usage, and water conservation.
The summit featured a distinguished line-up of speakers whose expertise spans industry, government, and international organizations. Speakers at the 4th STS include:- Dr. Ashok Kumar, Mr. Raghvendra Mahindrakar, Mr. Murugan Thenkondar, Mr. Sudipto Mandal, Mr. Manu Arya, Mr. R.K. Singh, Mr. Anil Kumar V, Mr. Abhishek Jani, Mr. B. Prasad, Mr. J.K. Gupta, Mr. Shivendra Parmar, Ms. Bansari Nag, Mr. Karthik Duraisamy, and Mr. Amrish Miyani.
The summit brought together 175+ delegates including MSMEs, exporters, brands, academia, R&D institutions and policymakers. Discussions paved the way for a strong industry –government-academia roadmap for India’s sustainable textile future. The full day summit was moderated by Mr. Rakesh Kumar Sangrai, Director, PHDCCI.
The event is supported by leading industry stakeholders. Principal Partner: SIDBI; Premier Partner: Khadi India; Associate Partners: Oerlikon Barmag, RSWM Limited, Grasim Industries Ltd. – Aditya Birla Group, Centre for Social Markets (CSM), and Fairtrade India; Media Partners: Texfash.com, Textile Value Chain, Textile Insights.