·
Tex-Eco
Initiative Announced: The Union Budget 2026–27
introduced the Tex-Eco
Initiative to promote a globally competitive and sustainable
textile and apparel sector.
·
Key
Objectives of Tex-Eco Initiative:
o Promote textile waste management and
recycling.
o Support circular economy technologies.
o Develop recycled fibres and new
sustainable materials.
o Encourage sustainable packaging.
o Create high-value products from discarded
textiles.
o Foster collaboration among research
institutions, Textile Research Associations, Centres of Excellence, industry,
and start-ups.
·
Focus
on Sustainable Manufacturing:
The Government is promoting:
o Green technologies
o Recycling and waste reduction
o Resource efficiency
o Environmentally sustainable production
practices
·
Pilot
Projects Underway:
o "Eliminating Hazardous Chemicals from
Textile Fashion Supply Chain"
in partnership with UNIDO
and supported by the Global
Environment Facility (GEF) to reduce hazardous chemicals,
energy use, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions.
o "Accelerating the Transition of the
Indian Textile Sector towards Circularity (In-Tex India)" with UNEP, using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Product Environmental Footprint (PEF)
methodologies to scale circular business models.
·
National
Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM):
o Supports R&D projects focused on environmentally
sustainable technologies and materials.
·
PM
MITRA Parks:
o Designed as world-class integrated textile
parks promoting:
§ Sustainable industrialisation
§ Resilient infrastructure
§ Innovation in the textile sector
·
Promoting
Upcycled Products:
o MoU signed among the Textile Committee, SCOPE, and Government e-Marketplace (GeM) to encourage procurement of upcycled textile products
by government agencies.
·
Textile
Waste Mapping Report Released:
o The report "Mapping of Textile Waste Value Chain in India"
provides:
§ Assessment of textile waste generation
§ Recovery pathways
§ Recycling technologies
§ Opportunities to strengthen circularity
across the textile value chain
·
Overall
Goal:
o Improve resource efficiency and
environmental performance.
o Increase demand for sustainable and
recycled textile products.
o Enhance the global competitiveness of
India's textile and apparel industry.
The Government is
promoting a circular
textile economy through the Tex-Eco Initiative, sustainable
technologies, recycling projects, R&D support, PM MITRA Parks, and policies
encouraging the use of recycled and upcycled textile products to strengthen the
competitiveness and sustainability of India's textile sector.
[ABS News Service/22.07.2026]
In the Union Budget 2026–27, the Union Finance Minister announced the
"Tex-Eco Initiative" to promote a globally competitive and
sustainable textile and apparel sector. The initiative aims to support
innovative technologies for the circular economy, including textile waste
management, recycling, and value addition, as well as the development of
recycled fibres, new materials, sustainable packaging, and other high-value
products from discarded textiles, in collaboration with research institutions,
Textile Research Associations, Centres of Excellence, industry, start-ups, and
other relevant stakeholders.
Further, the government in view of the growing global importance of
environmentally sustainable production practices including green technology
adoption, recycling and waste reduction, and their anticipated benefits in
terms of enhanced global competitiveness, improved market access, enhanced
environmental & economic resilience, and strengthened investor confidence,
a number of initiatives have been taken:
i.
The Government has been facilitating
a series of pilot projects across the country to raise awareness and build
capacity on global best practices of sustainable production & consumption
with focus on subjects such as:
·
A project titled “Eliminating
Hazardous Chemicals from Textile Fashion Supply Chain” in partnership with
UNIDO and supported by Global Environment Facility (GEF) to eliminate hazardous
chemicals from the apparel fashion supply chain in India while promoting
sustainable practices aimed at reducing environmental impacts particularly in
terms of energy and waste use, and greenhouse gas emissions.
·
‘Accelerating the Transition of the
Indian Textile Sector towards Circularity’ (In-Tex India) being implemented in
collaboration with UNEP, focuses on scaling circular business models by
leveraging Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Product Environmental Footprint
(PEF) methodologies.
ii.
Under the National Technical Textiles
Mission (NTTM), several research and development (R&D) projects have been
sanctioned with a focus on environmentally sustainable technologies and
materials.
iii.
The PM Mega Integrated Textile Region
and Apparel Parks are designed as a world-class industrial ecosystem to build
resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster
innovation.
iv.
In order to mitigate effects of
increasing textile waste, Government has undertaken number of activities
including signing of an MoU among Textile Committee, Standing Conference of
Public Enterprises (SCOPE) and the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) to promote the use of upcycled products in Government
procurement.
v.
Further, the Ministry has released
the report "Mapping of Textile Waste Value Chain in India" which
provides a comprehensive assessment of textile waste generation, recovery
pathways, recycling technologies and opportunities to strengthen circularity
across India’s textile value chain.
The Government's approach combines support for technology development,
research and innovation, to strengthen demand for sustainable and recycled
textile products. Together, these are aimed at improving resource efficiency
and environmental performance across the textile value chain while enhancing
the global competitiveness of Indian textiles and apparel.
This information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES
PABITRA MARGHERITA in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 21 July,
2026.