Term Paper Submitted by Menka Jha 9 May 21

Year 2021
BARRIERS TO THE ADOPTION OF SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES IN

THE INDIAN APPAREL MANUFACTURING EXPORTS INDUSTRY
JHA
MENKA JHA
MF Tech
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNLOLGY

NEW DELHI, INDIA 110 016
APRIL 2021
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BARRIERS TO THE ADOPTION OF SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES IN
THE INDIAN APPAREL MANUFACTURING EXPORTS INDUSTRY
by
MENKA JHA
Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of Master of Fashion
Technology
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY

NEW DELHI, INDIA 110 016
APRIL 2021
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DECLARATION
I certify that the term paper entitled “Barriers to the adoption of sustainable practices
in the Indian Apparel Manufacturing Exports Industry” being submitted to the
National Institute of Fashion Technology; New Delhi for the award of the Degree of
Master of Fashion Management is a record of bonafide work carried out by me,
under the guidance of Dr. Varsha Gupta.
The results contained in this document have not been submitted, in part or in full, to
any other University or Institute for the award of any degree or diploma.
Signature of the Student
Menka Jha
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CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the document “Barriers to the adoption of sustainable practices
in the Indian Apparel Manufacturing Exports Industry” being submitted by Ms. Menka
Jha, to the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi for the award of the Degree
of Master of Fashion Management is a record of bonafide research work carried out
by her. Ms. Menka Jha has worked under my guidance and fulfilled the requirements
for submission of the term paper.
The results/information contained in this document has not been submitted, in part or
in full, to any other University or Institute for the award of any degree/diploma.
Signature of Mentor
Dr. Varsha Gupta

Professor,
Master of Design Department
National Institute of Fashion Technology,
Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India
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ABSTRACT
Supply chains in emerging economies face far more obstacles in comparison to those
that operate in developed countries thereby leading to low adoption of sustainable
Supply chain management (SSCM) practices. This study identifies the sustainable
practices being adopted by the Indian Apparel Manufacturer Exporter (IAME). It further
explores the key reasons that inhibit them from adopting sustainable supply chain
management practices. Data has been collected through a questionnaire sent to
Apparel Manufacturers whose operate in exports sector of India and interviews of
some industry experts across the apparel supply chain.
The study also contributes to our understanding of environmental and social issues in
the apparel exports manufacturing industry and how it could be made more
sustainable.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This project is the result of support and guidance of several special people, who have
contributed towards the completion of this project.
I am especially grateful to Dr. Varsha Gupta, Professor, Master of Design Department,
NIFT New Delhi for being the ideal mentor and for her support, positive guidance,
analytical evaluation and direction towards successfully completing this project.
This work would not have been possible without the invaluable support of Dr. Usha
Narasimhan, Leather Design Program, NIFT New Delhi who convinced me to
undertake this programme.
My special gratitude and acknowledgment to Dr. Suruchi Mittar for her professional
guidance.
Special thanks to Dr Anupam Jain, Professor - Design, Dept. of Fashion
Communication, NIFT New Delhi for giving us an insight into the subject of Research
Methodology which has been the foundation of this project
I would like to express my gratitude to Dr Nandini Dutta, Head Resource Centre, NIFT
New Delhi for her help with innumerable articles and reports that helped frame this
research. I extend my sincere thanks to NIFT fraternity and the fabulous panels of
experts who shared their wisdom through the seminars.
I take this opportunity to thank the Industry Experts and all respondents for their
valuable inputs and feedback that helped shape this project to its current form.
My family members have been an important part of this journey. I would like to thank
my parents, my husband, Anand Jha and my wonderful daughter, Sanskriti Jha for
providing unending support, understanding and inspiration.
Signature of the Author
Menka Jha
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
S. NO. CONTENT PAGE NO.

LIST OF FIGURES 10
LIST OF TABLES 11
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS/ACRONYMNS 12
1 INTRODUCTION 15
1.1 Overview of the Apparel Industry 16
1.2 India’s position in the global apparel industry 18
1.3 Sustainability 19
1.4 United Nations sustainable development agenda 20
1.5 The need for research 21
1.6 Research Objectives of the Study 23
2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 24
2.1 Fashion industry’s environmental footprint 25
2.2 Sustainable supply chain (SSC) 29
2.3 Theories for achieving SSC 31
2.4 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) 32
2.5 Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) 35
2.6 SSCM practices 36
2.7 Barriers to Sustainability and SSCM practices 40
2.8 Measuring sustainable performance 43
3 METHODOLOGY 46
3.1 Research Design 47
3.2 Methods and Tools of data collection 48
3.3 Sample Size and Selection 51
3.4 Type of Data Analysis to be used 54
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4 DATA ANALYSIS OF QUESTIONNAIRE 55
4.1 Profile of the respondents 56
4.2 Product offer of the respondents 58
4.3 Accreditation status of the factories 59
4.4 Socially inclusive practices for employees (SPE) 62
4.5 Sustainable materials offer of the IAME 63
4.6 SSCM practices implemented by the IAME 64
4.7 Cost of sustainability 75
4.8 Barriers to implementation of sustainability practices 80
4.9 Drivers for implementation of sustainability practices 83
4.10 Sustainability performance of IAME 84
5 GOVERNMENT POLICY AND ITS USAGE IN THE 87

APPAREL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
5.1 Indian Labour laws 88
5.2 Environmental laws in India 93
5.3 Initiatives and schemes by GoI 96
6 KEY LEARNINGS FROM INDUSTRY CHANGE MAKERS 102

6.1 Raw materials 104
6.2 Processing 106
6.3 Eco-labels and Certifications 108
6.5 SSCM Practices 114
6.6 Alternate energy sources 114
7 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 127

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7.2 Socially inclusive practices for employees (SPE) 131
7.3 Sustainable materials offer of the IAME 132
7.4 SSCM practices implemented by the IAME 139
7.5 Cost of sustainability 143
8 CONCLUSION 149
9 REFERENCE LIST 165
10 ANNEXURES 174
ANNEXURE I QUESTIONNAIRE 175
ANNEXURE II PROFILE OF QUESTIONNAIRE 183
RESPONDENTS
ANNEXURE III PROFILE OF INTERVIEW 184
RESPONDENTS
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LIST OF FIGURES

1.1 Garment manufacturing supply chain 17
1.2 Global textile market share by application 2019 17
1.3 United Nations, 2021. The Sustainable Development 20
Goals
2.1 Pie chart illustrating GHG emissions in 2018 for the 26
Apparel and footwear value chain
2.2 Challenges across the Apparel Supply chain 27
2.3 Sustainable Supply chain Management 31
2.4 Corporate social responsibility roadmap in the textile 34
and clothing sector
3.1 Flowchart of the methodology followed 48
4.1 Analysis of the costs involved when implementing an 76

accreditation or certification
6.1 Profile of interview respondents 103
6.2 Laser wash at a denim processing unit for applying 107
finishes with minimum water wastage
6.3 Zero effluent treatment system 107
6.4 Power station fuelled by local biomass 117
6.5 Power generated by wind turbine 118
7.1 Identification of risk and interconnectedness of apparel 132
manufacturer’s value chain
7.2 Organic cotton production sources worldwide 133
7.3 How organic system works 134
7.4 When you choose organic cotton, you save.. 134
7.5 Screenshot of Niti Aayog platform as of 8.45 pm on 10- 144
Mar-21
8.1 The Green Tile developed by Veena Sahajwalla 159
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LIST OF TABLES

1.1 India RMG exports to the world Update for April- 18
December 2020-21
1.2 Categorising the 17 SDGs of United Nations 21
6.1 List of eco-labels and certifications 110
7.1 Material portfolio of Natural fibres 136
7.2 Material portfolio of Manmade fibres 137
7.3 The connection between use of sustainable materials 139

and SDGs
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS/ ACRONYMS
Acronym Full form
ALMM Approved List of Models and Manufacturers
AME Apparel Manufacturer Exporter
ATDC Apparel Training and Design Centre
BCI Better Cotton Initiative
BSDA Balanced sustainable development actions
CBG Compressed Bio-Gas
CETP Common Effluent Treatment Plants
CLSC Closed Loop supply chain
CPCB Central Pollution Control Board
CSP Community-centred Social Performance
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
CTPAT Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism
DISCOM Distribution Company
EMS Environment Management System
EMP Environment Management Practices
EPR Environmental performance
ESP Employee-centred Social Performance
FAMA Facility & Merchandise Authorization
FSCM Fashion Supply Chain Management
GHG Greenhouse Gases
GMOs Genetically Modified Organisms
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Acronym Full form
GSCM Green Supply Chain Management
GoI Government of India
GOTS Global Organic Textile Standard
GRS Global Recycled Standard
GST Goods and Services Tax
IAME Indian Apparel Manufacturer Exporter
INR Indian Rupee
JIT Just In Time
LCA Life Cycle Analysis
MMCF Manmade Cellulosic Fibres
MNRE Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
MoEF Ministry of Environment and Forests
MoPNG New Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
MoT Ministry of Textiles
NCR National Capital Region (Delhi, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and

Gurgaon)
NGO Non-Governmental Organisation
O&M Operations and Maintenance
OCS Organic Content Standard
OHSAS Occupational Health and Safety Management System
OPR Operations Performance
PET Polyethylene terephthalate
PLI Production Linked Incentive Scheme
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Acronym Full form
REACH Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of

Chemicals
RMG Ready-made Garments
SAC Sustainable Apparel Coalition
SCC Supplier Codes of Conduct
SCI Supply Chain Integration
SDG Sustainable development Goal
SEDEX Supplier Ethical Data Exchange
S-LCA Social Life Cycle Assessment
SLCP Social & Labour Convergence Program
SPE Socially inclusive practices for employees
SPC Socially inclusive practices for community
SPCBs State Pollution Control Boards
SMEs Small and medium-sized enterprises
SSC Sustainable Supply Chain
SEDEX Supplier Ethical Data Exchange
SSCM Sustainable Supply chain management
TBL Triple Bottom Line
TCE Transactions cost economics
TQM Total Quality Management
WCED World Commission on Environment and Development (United

Nations)
WRAP Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production
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INTRODUCTION
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INTRODUCTION
1.1 OVERVIEW OF THE APPAREL INDUSTRY
Currently the worldwide survival of the apparel industry is in question. Many

organizations and fashion-conscious personalities have come forward to uphold
various environment campaigns where “fast fashion"1 is getting a lot of flak for being
a major contributor to greenhouse gases, water and air pollution, creating problematic
levels of waste, and poor working conditions in other countries. The quality of
garments being produced is progressively declining over the years due to which
clothes immediately look faded, shapeless, or worn out. To add to this, trends keep
changing so quickly that consumers continue to purchase just to stay up to date.
There is another challenge on the horizon- the new customer Gen Z who is more
racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation. They are digital natives
who have little or no memory of the world as it existed before smartphones. Generation
Z cares about the world. They are acutely aware of environmental, political, and socio-
economic problems that societies face today. They are not brand driven and are
looking for ethical sustainable products.
The garment supply chain is globally distributed, with much of the initial fibre
production and garment manufacturing occurring in developing countries, while the
consumption typically occurs in developed countries (Niinimäki et al., 2020 p-191).
Fig 1.1 illustrates the geographic location and broad-scale environmental impacts in
terms of energy use, water use, waste production and chemical use at each key stage
of the fashion supply chain.
1
The average person buys 60% more items of clothing and keeps them for about half as long
compared to 15 years ago (Greenpeace 2017). Similarly, in the past 15 years, the average number of
times a garment is worn has decreased by 36% (Elle MacArthur Foundation 2017).
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Fig 1.1 Garment manufacturing supply chain. (Niinimäki et al., 2020:p.191)
Fig 1.2 Fashion Influencer Marketing Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by
Influencer Type (Megainfluencers, Macroinfluencers, Nanoinfluencers), By Fashion Type, By
Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027, 2020
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The global textile market size was valued at USD 961.5 billion in 2019. Fashion and
clothing sector is the largest consumers of textiles in forms of apparel, ties, clothing
accessories and handbags. In terms of volume, the fashion sector held a considerable
share of over 70.0% of the total market in 2019.
1.2 INDIA’S POSITION IN THE GLOBAL APPAREL INDUSTRY
Indian exports for RMG year on Year for 2019 was worth Rs 114,233.1 crores or
US$16,235. There has been a dip in the business on account of the Corona virus
pandemic and the resultant disruptions as can be seen in Fig 1.2.
Table 1.1 India RMG exports to the world (India’s Ready-Made Garment (RMG) Export Update
for FY (April-December) 2020-21, 2021)
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The Indian Apparel Manufacturer Exporter (IAME) need to be aware of the above, the
non-adoption of these environmentally and socially sustainable practices poses a risk
of losing their position in the world market.
1.3 SUSTAINABILITY
United Nations’ WCED (1987) has accepted the concept of sustainability as that
introduced in the Brundtland report, 1987: ‘sustainability means being able to satisfy
current needs without compromising the possibility for future generations to satisfy
their own needs’.
Normally, in any organization, it is the economic goals that are the focus of the
Operations and Supply Chain managers. Hall, Matos and Silvestre (2012) have stated
that the firms focusing on individual sustainable development elements independently
are unlikely to find satisfactory solutions to their sustainable supply chain (SSC)
problems (p.1332).
Foerstl, Reuter, Hartmann and Blome (2010) supports the definition of sustainability
as the pursuit of the tripartite of economic, environmental, and social
performance(p.118).
As Das mentioned in 2017, disregarding environmental and social issues can lead to
the organization’s actions not only causing irreversible damages to the eco-system,
but also fail to secure safety, security, minimum wage, healthcare, better working
conditions for employees, improved living condition for the surrounding community,
and the society at large (p.1).
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the contribution that a business should make
to society. While Steiner and Steiner (2009) defined CSR as the duty of a firm to create
wealth in ways that avoid harm to or enhance societal assets and the environment,
Carroll (1979) has stated that CSR encompasses economic, legal, ethical, and
discretionary expectations that society has about the organizations.
SSCM or Sustainable Supply Chain Management has been defined by Carter &
Rogers (2008) as ‘the strategic, transparent integration and achievement of an
organization’s social, environmental, and economic goals in the systemic coordination
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of key inter-organizational business processes for improving the long-term economic
performance of the individual company and its supply chains’(p.9). The recognition of
financial, social and environmental elements however creates greater complexity,
which makes optimisation approaches to sustainable supply chain problems infeasible
(Hall, Matos and Silvestre, 2012, p.1332).
1.4 UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA
United Nations’ new sustainable development agenda for 2030 came into force in
2016. This includes a blueprint of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) which
aim for a better and more sustainable future for all.
The SDGs call upon everyone in the world including companies, governments,
various organizations and the general public to work towards ending poverty,
inequality, climate change, environmental degradation. Below is a graphical
representation of these SDG’s.
Fig 1.3 United Nations, 2021. The Sustainable Development Goals. [image] Available at:
<https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/> [Accessed 25
February 2021].
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Table 1.2 Categorising the 17 SDGs of United Nations (Cai and Choi, 2020: p.3)
1.5 THE NEED FOR RESEARCH
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) see CSR and sustainability as not for
their business. Owners perhaps think these buzz words are only relevant to large
companies who have the money, the people and the means. For a smaller business,
they feel the administrative and financial costs exceed the benefits.
Fashion trends govern the fabric of the season. Due to varying compositions and
processing and finishing of these fabrics, each one comes with its own challenges of
sustainability. Vendors need to update themselves and their teams on this.
There is no single registration system that factories can avail. Each registration BCI,
ORGANIC COTTON, GOTS, OEKOTEX, etc. require separate registration and
associated costs.
There is a constant pressure from brands for price reduction. It would be worthwhile
to explore what is the end customer willing to pay for a sustainable product.
There is a lot of research in the domain of Sustainability and sustainable

manufacturing. However, no research investigating the pros and cons or motivating
and de-motivating factors for sustainable manufacturing in the context of the Indian
apparel manufacturing exports industry. This research is being carried out in order to
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fill this gap and thereby to establish the factors for the adoption of sustainable
practices. The author in her various interactions with AME (Apparel Manufacturer
Exporter) has noticed and encountered resistance to the concept and adoption of
these environmentally and socially sustainable practices.
Therefore, this study explores the answers to the below questions:
▪ Sustainability in the fashion industry is the most spoken about issue in the
world, what sustainable practices are being adopted by Indian apparel
manufacturing suppliers? 2
▪ Is the implementation process hindered or enabled and how?
▪ Is the cost of sustainability extremely high? Is it sustainable enough for Indian

exporters to implement? How is it impacting the product price offer and
profitability?
▪ Has the Indian government given any incentives to enable exporters?
2
Baig, S., Abrar, M., Batool, A., Hashim, M. and Shabbir, R., 2020. Barriers to the adoption of
sustainable supply chain management practices: Moderating role of firm size. Cogent Business &
Management, [online] 7(1), p.1841525. Available at:
<https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2020.1841525> [Accessed 5 January 2021].
Sharma, A. and Narula, S., 2020. What motivates and inhibits Indian textile firms to embrace
sustainability?. Asian Journal of Sustainability and Social Responsibility, 5(1).
Achabou, M. and Dekhili, S., 2015. Constraints and Drivers of Growth in the Ethical Fashion Sector:
The Case of France. Sustainable Fashion Supply Chain Management, [online] SSSCM, volume 1,
pp.167-181. Available at: <https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-12703-3_9>
[Accessed 22 February 2021]
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1.6 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1. To study the sustainable manufacturing processes for Indian Apparel Manufacturer

Exporter (IAME) and to identify the sustainable practices that are being adopted by
them.
2. To study the reasons for Indian Apparel Manufacturer Exporters not adopting
sustainable practices.
3. To study the cost of sustainable manufacturing practices for the IAME.
4. To identify the government initiatives to promote sustainability in the apparel

manufacturing exports industry.
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REVIEW OF LITERATURE
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2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 FASHION INDUSTRY’S ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT
The Coronavirus Pandemic in 2020 has highlighted the interconnectedness of human

lives across the globe and uncertainty that characterises businesses, global
economies, and the human race.
The plight of the migrant labour in India3 in the several weeks following the lockdown
and the Black Lives Matter movement4 have all increased the focus on social issues
that exist in our society and the fashion industry.
The fashion industry is faced with many challenges such as ‘supplier relationships,
greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), employment structures, overproduction and
wastage’ (Berg, Granskog, Magnus and Lee, 2020:p.1).
With the advent of the Industrial Revolution came GHG emissions which have
contributed significantly to atmospheric warming by elevating the global temperatures
by around 1.1 degrees (with significant regional variations).
The other crises that loom threateningly are heatwaves, melting glaciers (the recent
case of flash floods in Uttarakhand in northern India)5, rising sea levels and damage
to ecosystems that are vital to humankind’s future. These systemic issues are also
apparent in the looming threat of climate change, which is set to create accelerating
3 Guha, D., 2021. Plight of migrant workers during lockdown. [online] The Statesman. Available at:
<https://www.thestatesman.com/supplements/notebook/plight-migrant-workers-lockdown-
1502892645.html> [Accessed 25 February 2021].
4 Nytimes.com. 2021. Black Lives Matter May Be the Largest Movement in U.S. History. [online]
Available at: <https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/03/us/george-floyd-protests-crowd-
size.html> [Accessed 18 February 2021].
5 Sinha, A., 2021. Glacial lake burst or avalanche… what caused the Uttarakhand disaster?. The
Indian Express, [online] Available at: <https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/uttarakhand-glacier-
break-flash-flood-rishiganga-7179003/> [Accessed 25 February 2021].
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socioeconomic impacts over the coming years. (Berg, Granskog, Magnus and Lee,
2020:p.1)
The warming has precipitated more frequent and severe risks, including flooding, fires,
droughts, and storms, leading to socioeconomic impacts on, e.g., liveability and
workability, food systems and natural capital. With temperatures set to continue their
upward trajectory, it is likely these adverse impacts will become more severe over the
coming years (Berg, Granskog, Magnus and Lee, 2020 p-3).
Fig. 2.1 Pie chart illustrating GHG emissions in 2018 for the Apparel and footwear value chain (Berg,
Granskog, Magnus and Lee, 2020:p.3).
Global fashion Industry produced 4% of the total global GHG emissions at around 2.1
billion tonnes in 2018 which is equal to the combined GHG annual emissions of
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France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Around 70% of the fashion industry
emissions came from upstream activities such as materials production, preparation,
and processing. The remaining 30% were associated with downstream retail
operations, the use-phase, and end-of-use activities (Berg, Granskog, Magnus and
Lee, 2020:p.3).
Fig. 2.2 Challenges across the Apparel Supply chain (Khanna et al., 2020:p.7)
Impacts of the industry include consumption of ‘79 trillion litres of water per year’
and generation of ‘8-10% of global CO2 emissions (4-5 billion tonnes annually)’ ,
~20% of industrial water pollution from textile treatment and dyeing’, contribution
of ~35% (190,000 tonnes per year) of oceanic primary microplastic pollution and
production of vast quantities of textile waste (>92 million tonnes per year), much of
which ends up in landfill or is burnt, including unsold product ’(Niinimäki et al.,
2020:p.189).
Hence, it is not surprising that ‘the fashion industry whose growth has been boosted
with the rise of fast fashion which relies on cheap manufacturing, frequent
consumption, and short-lived garment use’ and whose ‘production to consumption
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chain is characterised by water use, polluting chemicals, CO2 emissions and waste
from textiles is facing increasing global scrutiny of its environmentally polluting supply
chain operations’ (Niinimäki et al., 2020:p.189).
Academia, media, various governments and non- governmental organizations(NGOs)

have all responded to this with articles, reports, peer-reviewed publications on climate
change science and global impact. As the climate-change movement gathers
momentum, the concept of “customer” in supply chain management is being replaced
by that of multiple “stakeholders,” including the local communities impacted by any
step in the chain, the NGOs that represent their interests, governments, and future
generations whose quality of life will be affected by the way in which supply chains are
designed and operated today (Corbett and Klassen, 2006; Cruz, 2013; Seuring and
Gold, 2013). Further, these multiple stakeholders are pressuring supply chain
members to strive for sustainable development that integrates economic growth,
environmental protection, and social responsibilities of firms (Lee, 2012; Mota et al.,
2014)
Signed in 2016 the UNFCCC6 Paris Climate Change Agreement deals with
greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation, and finance. Its long-term goal is to
keep the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above preindustrial
levels and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C 7. To date, only around 50
fashion companies have committed to the science-based targets aligned with the
agreement (Berg, Granskog, Magnus and Lee, 2020:p.49).
A complex system of interdependent supply chains encompasses the global

economic production which have been honed to deliver maximum efficiency and
speed over time. This system facilitates the production of goods which may have
6
The UNFCCC came into being on 21 March 1994. With a near-universal membership , 197 countries
that have ratified the Convention are called Parties to the Convention. Preventing “dangerous” human
interference with the climate system is the ultimate aim of the UNFCCC.
7
FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE or FFF, is a global climate strike movement started in 2018 by Greta
Thunberg focuses on climate crisis and puts moral pressure on policymakers, to make them listen to
the scientists, and then to take forceful action to limit global warming.
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multiple components that could have been sourced from diverse geographical
locations.
‘A changing climate and the greater frequency and/or severity of hazards may increase
disruptions in supply chains that interrupt production, raise costs, hurt corporate
revenues, and lead to higher prices or shortages for consumers’(Woetzel et al.,
2020:p.9).
2.2 SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN (SSC)
Over the past few decades, the supply chains are working towards efficiency that
results in greater complexity and intricacy thereby increasing their vulnerability to
disruption. Concepts like Just-in Time8 and Just-in-Sequence9 for lean
manufacturing gained popularity in the 1970’s. These concepts focus on reduction of
metrics like inventory levels which contribute to increased vulnerability. Lower
inventories not only reduce the reduce working capital, but also reduce supply chain
resilience - the leanest companies tend to rely the most on receiving on-time inputs
from their suppliers.
As Baskaran et al. (2012) have stated - the apparel industry one of the longest and
most fragmented supply chains in the world wherein there are multiple intermediaries
between the fiber producers and the final customers. This industry is characterized by
a short product lifecycle, high demand uncertainty, and a large number of stock-
keeping units (Bonacich and Appelbaum, 2000; Jin, 2004) which leads to high stock-
out costs, markdowns, and increased perspectives.
8
Just-in-time,(JIT) is a Japanese management philosophy which has been applied in practice since the
early 1970s and was first developed and perfected within the Toyota manufacturing plants by Taiichi
Ohno. It originally referred to the production of goods to meet customer demand exactly, in time, quality
and quantity, whether the `customer' is the final purchaser of the product or another process further
along the production line. It has now come to mean producing with minimum "waste" (time, resources
and materials).
9
Just-in-sequence (JIS) manufacturing is considered an evolution of just-in-time. It delivers the right
parts to the right assembly line in the right order.
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Ertekin and Atik (2020) have indicated that the sustainability challenges of fashion
industry are associated with multiple, interrelated, and complicated issues, involving a
large number of different institutional constituents (designers, retailers, luxury brands,
fashion associations, and consumers) whose collective efforts at macro level are
necessary to address these challenges(Bostro¨m and Micheletti 2016; Cataldi,
Dickson, and Grover 2010).
Chopra et al. (2010) have stated that sustainability issues cut across different
functional areas of the supply chain and encompass different levels of decision-making
hierarchy (from operational to strategic).
Sustainable Supply Chain (SSC) can be developed by redefining the basic structure
of the entire supply chain by incorporating sustainability concerns into the design and
management of the supply chain (Govindan et al.,2014a)
The above suggestion must be considered by managers while selecting supply chain
partners and making flow allocation decisions (i.e., allocating order quantity to each
supply chain partner and choosing appropriate modes of transportation) (van der Vorst
et al., 2009; Jakhar, 2015:p.4).
Business practices and procedures that are implemented in a sustainable supply

chain must align with the three pillars of sustainability, i.e., social, environmental, and
economical, to create a balance among them. As Das (2018) indicates, failing to do
this will lead to unsustainable supply chains.
‘The triple bottom line (TBL) focuses corporations not just on the economic value they
add, but also on the environmental and social value they add—and destroy’ (Elkington,
1998; Giunipero, Hooker and Denslow, 2012).
Unless SSCM practices are integrated, sustainability is not possible in an organization.
Özçelik & Öztürk (2014) have stated that the ecological benefits of an organization
tend to diminish if the supply chain participants are not engaged in sustainability
practices
While considering the social and environmental dimensions of SSCM, the

organization’s overall strategic and financial objectives must also be taken into
account.
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This explains the question mark around the term “good” which labels the intersection
of social and environmental components but omits the economic component of the
triple bottom line in the figure 2.3.
Fig 2.3. ‘Sustainable Supply chain Management’ (Carter and Rogers, 2008:p.369).
2.3 THEORIES FOR ACHIEVING SSC
The general perception of the Indian Apparel Manufacturer Exporter (IAME) is that
price offer, quality and production capacity are the key criteria for international apparel
buyers to select sourcing locations. However, sourcing strategy decisions for location
are determined by suppliers’ availability and manufacturing conditions. So, there is a
shift from using only quantitative selection criteria, based on price offer, to qualitative
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ones such as payment terms, delivery time, compliance with quality standards, and
the ability to respond quickly to any changes.
Sustainability issues are considered to represent an important hidden cost for

international apparel buyers since negative events or scandals due to a lack of social
or environmentally sustainable practices at offshore factories may damage their
reputation.
Some of the established theories for achieving SSC (Sustainable Supply Chain) in the
Apparel industry as summarised by Cai and Choi (2020) are as below:
▪ Transactions Cost Economics (TCE) theory – suggests that firms must focus
on the three bottom lines while making purchasing and production decisions.
▪ Agency theory- Interests of different channel agents in the three pillars need to
be well aligned along the fashion supply chain.
▪ Resource dependence theory- Resources are shared and are mutually

dependant in apparel supply chains , in order to attain the sustainable
development.
▪ Institutional theory- Seeking breakthroughs and enhance innovations in order

to respond to social and environmental pressures in managing supply chains.
▪ Game theory- Mutual dependence and special caring are critically important for
people and the planet in establishing a SSC.
▪ Network theory- Network is strategically configured by aligning the economic,

social and environmental goals of the supply chain members
▪ Strategic choice- Strategic decisions are made from the supply chain’s
perspective, based on TBL
▪ Resource-based view- Creating economic, social and environmental benefits

through certain precious assets and critical capabilities at the supply chain level
2.4 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)
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CSR plays a crucial role in the apparel industry that has been criticized for the
appalling working conditions and exploitation in clothing production, particularly for low
wages and child labour (Cline 2012; McRobbie 1997; Wilson 1985; Ozdamar Ertekin
and Atik 2015).
Short lead times necessitate… ‘either temporary or subcontracted workers or

excessive overtime to meet unreasonable deadlines’ (Cataldi, Dickson, and Grover
2010; Fletcher 2007; Ozdamar Ertekin 2016). As mentioned by McRobbie (1997),
since privatized and non-unionized work is carried out during the production of
garments, the basic human rights are often violated .
Since the 1990’s, there have been innumerable sweatshop scandals which are a sign
of these horrifying and unsafe workplaces and conditions. The Rana Plaza incident of
2013 in Bangladesh that left 1,129 people dead and many more injured, is an
unfortunate example of the results of the destructive effects on social and ecological
environments which poses a serious threat to the quality of life of current and future
generations.
Husted and Salazar (2006) proposed three different CSR approaches practiced by
companies:
▪ Altruistic CSR, which is characterized by philanthropic actions and where

companies take actions without expectations of competitive
advantages(although they may benefit indirectly through enhanced employee
commitment and overall image).
▪ Coercive CSR approach in which companies fulfil the minimum legal

requirements, which benefits the company by eliminating risks of financial
penalties, prosecution, or consumer boycotts.
▪ Strategic CSR approach involves social investment which enhances

competitive advantages to the firm and may be expected by shareholders.
CSR is acknowledged to work best in conjunction with stable and well-functioning

regulatory systems and hence initiatives promoting sustainability need to be
coordinated with policy making at all levels to speed up the transformation of the textile
and clothing industry
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Fig. 2.4 Corporate social responsibility roadmap in the textile and clothing sector (de Abreu,
2015:p.14) illustrates the range of drivers, desired outcomes, and various practices that could
be encompassed in a company’s CSR.
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2.5 SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT (SSCM)
The current developments in the business environment indicate that the social and
environmental issues need to be addressed from a long-term sustainability and
profitability perspective as well.
This has generated a lot of interest, research and practice of Green and Sustainable
Supply Chain Management (SSCM). Adoption of environmental or green supply
chain management (GSCM) practices by a firm not only diminishes the negative
environmental impact on the surrounding area, but it also results in a significant
positive impact on firm economic performance (Golicic and Smith, 2013). GSCM
primarily captures the two dimensions of a supply chain: economic and environmental.
Zhu et al. (2005) proposed four ways to implement GSCM:
▪ Environmental Management System (EMS)10 implementation
▪ asking suppliers to enhance environmental performance and collaborate with

their customer
▪ eco-design, in which companies reduce raw material/energy usage and design

products able to be recycled and remanufactured; and
▪ investment recovery, in which companies sell excess inventory/material, scrap,

and used materials.
Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) blends the goals of both CSR and
GSCM, which in turn, helps organizations achieve its economic goals, environmental
goals, and societal goals at a micro level and ultimately improve the image of the firms
in the eyes of the stakeholders (Das, 2017b:p.2).
10
An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a voluntary management tool that provides a
framework for an organisation to pro-actively manage its potential and actual environmental risks and
opportunities. EMSs identify, document, monitor, evaluate and communicate an organisation's
environmental performance.
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SSCM is an important concept for the improvement of environmental performance in
the Traditional Supply Chain Management (TSCM) and helps to provide a useful green
image to the end product.
There have been numerous studies which have tried to develop the framework for the
concept of SSCM based on extensive literature review (Kleindorfer, Singhal, and
Wassenshove 2005; Linton, Klassen, and Jayaraman 2007; Carter and Rogers 2008;
Seuring and Müller 2008; Vachon and Mao 2008; Pagell and Wu, 2009; Carter and
Easton 2011; Gupta and Palsule-Desai 2011; Beske and Seuring 2014; Ahi and
Searcy 2015; Montabon, Pagell, and Wu 2016; Dubey et al. 2017; Das, 2017b).
Practically, sustainable supply chains should implement such business practices and
procedures, which align with these three pillars of sustainability, i.e., social,
environmental, and economical, to create a balance among them. But failing to this
will lead to unsustainable supply chains (Das, 2018).
Das (2017) has expressed that ‘Porter (1991) introduced the ‘win-win’ perspective
with reference to the conflict between environment and the economy. He argued that
the firms can be environmentally friendly and at the same time can make profit’.
The concept of ‘creating shared value’ that can facilitate a firm to augment its
competitiveness while enhancing the economic and social conditions of the community
in which it operates was introduced by Porter and Kramer (2011).
Lampe et al. (1991), Lawrence and Morell (1995), Post (1994) and Vredenburg and
Westley (1993) have stressed the importance of legislation as a driver for corporate
ecological responsiveness which has been widely recognized and accepted.
Escalating penalties, fines, and legal costs have punctuated the importance of
complying with legislation (Cordano, 1993).
2.6 SSCM PRACTICES
An extensive literature review was done to establish the SSCM practices in the
Apparel industry.
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Das (2017) has stated that the SSCM practices can be categorised into four building
blocks based on Elkington’s (1994) TBL, the ecologically dominant logic of Montabon
et al. (2016) and the concept of SCM :
1. Environmental Management Practices(EMP)
Proactive Environmental Management Practices can include designs focused on

reducing the consumption of materials and energy, substitution of hazardous
materials, resource and generation of waste, utilization of renewable sources of
energy, the inclusion of pro-activity through life-cycle assessment, recyclable or
reusable or green packaging in logistics, providing design specification to suppliers for
supplied items that include environmental compliance, co-operation with customers
for eco-design, cleaner production, and green packaging.
IS0 14001 certification is an industry benchmark that helps organizations improve their
environmental performance through more efficient use of resources and reduction of
waste, gaining a competitive advantage and the trust of stakeholders and can facilitate
IAME to:
▪ Demonstrate compliance with current and future statutory and regulatory

requirements
▪ Increase leadership involvement and engagement of employees
▪ Improve company reputation and the confidence of stakeholders through

strategic communication
▪ Achieve strategic business aims by incorporating environmental issues into

business management
▪ Provide a competitive and financial advantage through improved efficiencies

and reduced costs
▪ Encourage better environmental performance of suppliers by integrating them

into the organization’s business systems
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2. Socially inclusive practices
Mackey et al. (2007) demonstrated that the firms engaging themselves in socially
responsible activities tend to maximize their market value. CSR implementation leads
to reduction in energy usage, water consumption, waste reduction, and efficient use
of raw materials. The socially inclusive practices can be categorised into those for the
employees (SPE) and those for the community (SPC).
The SPE includes providing ‘fair wages and perquisites; safe, healthy, and positive
working environment; health care benefits; leave and other fringe benefits; and
opportunities for growth’ (Welford and Frost, 2006; Hutchins and Sutherland, 2008; Lu
et al., 2012; Marshall et al., 2014; Mani et al., 2016a; 2016b; Zhu et al., 2016; Das
2017). These SPE would also include prohibition of child labour and protection of
labour rights (Mani et al., 2016a; 2016b; Zhu et al., 2016; Das 2017).
SPC refers to the opportunities that a firm creates for the surrounding community by
generating employment and business. It also includes the firm’s philanthropic activities
like providing education, training, and healthcare facilities with a view to making the
firm progressive in the eyes of the stakeholders (Hutchins and Sutherland, 2008; Lu
et al., 2012; Mani et al., 2016a; 2016b; Zhu et al., 2016; Das 2017).
3. Operations Practices(OP)
TQM, six sigma11, value engineering12, JIT, lean production13, inventory management,
economies of scale in transportation are some of the recognised operations practices
11
Six Sigma (6σ) is a set of techniques and tools for process improvement. It was introduced by
American engineer Bill Smith while working at Motorola in 1986. Jack Welch made it central to his
business strategy at General Electric in 1995. A Six Sigma process is one in which 99.99966% of all
opportunities to produce some feature of a part are statistically expected to be free of defects.
12
Value engineering refers to a systematic approach to improve the value of a project at the lowest
cost. Valuation engineering involves using substitute materials and methods that are less expensive
while preserving the functionality of the product. The concept of value engineering began in the 1940s
at General Electric
13
Lean manufacturing, or lean production, is a production method derived from Toyota's 1930
operating model "The Toyota Way" (Toyota Production System, TPS). The term "Lean" consist of five
Page | 38
which are ‘techniques for enhancing efficiency, improving quality, reducing inventory14,
and minimizing waste across the entire value chain’ (Das, 2017:p.12). These practices
positively affect the firm performance both in terms of marketability and financial terms.
Kaynak (2003) has studied the effects of TQM practices and also reiterated that for
successful implementation of TQM15, the top management’s commitment and support
is sine qua non. The implementation of supply chain practices and continuous
improvement like JIT and TQM leads to the manufacturing competitiveness of a firm
in terms of its cost, quality and delivery as indicated by Yang et al. (2010).
4. Supply Chain Integration(SCI)
The complexity of the supply chain is evident in the numerous activities spread across
multiple functions within an organization and outside it, in the various organizations
that are both upstream and downstream.
The challenge of the SCM lies in integrating the front end of the supply chain to its
back end along with the customer demand while coordinating production,
transportation and inventory decisions.
Supply Chain Integration (SCI) involves the forward and backward integration of
information among suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and customers ‘and also
the integration of various internal functions’(Vickery et al., 2003).
Cagliano et al. (2006) has described SCI as a coordination mechanism that simplifies
internal and external business processes. As per Lii and Kuo (2016) and cited by Das
key principles: 'Precisely specify value by specific product, identify the value stream for each product,
make value flow without interruptions, let customer pull value from the producer, and pursue
perfection.' (Womack and Jones,1996 p.10)
14
Inventory management is a systematic approach to sourcing, storing, and selling inventory—both
raw materials (components) and finished goods (products). In business terms, inventory management
means the right stock, at the right levels, in the right place, at the right time, and at the right cost as
well as price.
15
TQM is a set of management practices throughout the organization, geared to ensure the
organization consistently meets or exceeds customer requirements. TQM places strong focus on
process measurement and controls as means of continuous improvement.
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(2017), SCI can be divided under three heads: customer integration, supplier
integration, and internal integration.
Tan et al. (2002) and Kannan and Tan (2005) identified the following items related to
SCI:
▪ establishing frequent contact with supply chain members,
▪ estimation of customers’ future needs,
▪ communicating customers’ needs to the suppliers,
▪ improving integration activities across SC,
▪ responding to the needs of customers by keeping adequate inventory, etc
2.7 BARRIERS TO SUSTAINABILITY AND SSCM PRACTICES
Giunipero et al. (2012) has stated that different barriers hinder the incorporation of
sustainability in a firm’s supply chain.
The challenges and barriers faced by the firms across its supply chain while
implementing SSCM practices in their respective businesses have been identified
through industry or country-specific studies (Achabou and Dekhili, 2015; Al Zaabi, Al
Dhaheri and Diabat, 2013; Baig et al., 2020; Curwen, Park and Sarkar, 2013; Dash,
Kumari and Das Bajpai, 2018; Giunipero, Hooker and Denslow, 2012; Kulatunga,
Jayatilaka and Jayawickrama, 2013; Nayak, Akbari and Maleki Far, 2019; Raj, Jin Ma,
Jin Gam and Banning, 2021; Sharma and Narula, 2020; Sommer, 2021).
Businesses take SSCM related initiatives due to the underlying pressures, particularly
from government, NGOs, and other stakeholders (Diabat et al., 2014; Meixell &
Luoma, 2015; Baig et al., 2020). Weak regulatory checks and controls act as a
significant barrier to sustainability initiatives (Giunipero et al., 2012; Oelze, 2017; Baig
et al., 2020).
Unfavourable business environment comprises two hampering factors for standard

adoption, namely access to finance and infrastructure. The financing gap for SMEs in
Brazil, China and India compromises their ability to comply with standards as the
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implementation process often necessitates investments (Cao, 2017; Coelho & Nunes,
2017; Jain & Ashok, 2017; Sommer,2017).
The human barriers include resistance to change, low eco-literacy, lack of

understanding and knowledge, lack of qualified staff and training programs, lack of
expertise on laws regarding environmental management and best practices, the
inability to plan which are some of the common barriers to implementing SSCM. These
human barriers also lead to inaction at the firm’s end who find comfort in a state of
status quo.
With lack of commitment on top management’s part and the lack of alignment in the
short term and long-term plans, changing company practices and policies becomes a
challenge. The high level of investment required in terms of time and money also acts
as a hindrance. Language barriers and cultural differences are also major obstacles
for adopting of SSCM. Seuring & Muller (2008) pointed out that the barriers of SSCM
include higher costs, coordination effort and complexity, and insufficient or missing
communication in the SCM.
Lack of motivation amongst employees can prove to be a barrier as well. Provision for
incentives in form of recognition, financial gain or ease in implementation would help
overcome this barrier.
There is unavailability of environment-related standards as well as regulations, lack of

resources at supplier’s end, lack of awareness and demand from customers.
Seidel et al. (2010) have observed that IT companies often have a lack of support from
middle management within the organization, and this lack of transparency creates a
negative impact while seeking to implement the SSCM concept.
Al Zaabi, Al Dhaheri & Diabat (2013) have cited Revell & Blackburn (2007) who have
recognised that the most understandable barrier to environmentally sustainable
development of industries is the fact that many wasteful and polluting goods are
relatively inexpensive in monetary terms because ecological costs are not
incorporated in the price.
Stakeholders, customers and governments are the main influencers of

implementation of sustainable practices. In developing countries, stakeholders,
notably supply chain partners lack awareness about sustainability and their part in its
Page | 41
achievement (Moktadir et al., 2018; Soda et al., 2015; Baig et al., 2020 ). This results
in an unwillingness to pay and a lack of demand for sustainable products . Jabbour et
al. (2016) have studied the impact of barriers on environment proactive green
operational practices and firm performance. They found that the internal barriers
negatively impact the implementation of environment-friendly operations practices.
All the above factors can be categorized into barriers like internal and external, social,
technological, financial, governmental, economic, managerial, etc. (Moktadir et al.,
2018; Murillo-Luna et al., 2011; Trianni et al., 2017; Baig et al., 2020 ).
Having reviewed the above studies, the barriers can be segregated under the following
three heads:
1. Sectoral or Economic Barriers
▪ Lack of regulations
▪ Economic uncertainty
▪ Initial buyer and supplier investment
▪ Lack of standards
▪ External awareness
2. Managerial Barriers
▪ Little top management support
▪ Policy change difficult
▪ Short vs long term goals
3. Supplier Barriers
▪ Suppliers lack resources
▪ Additional burden on suppliers
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2.8 MEASURING SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE
Economic, environmental and social parameters are the three dimensions for
evaluating the SSCM performance of a firm. Zhu et al. (2007; 2008a; 2012), Green Jr.
et al. (2012), and Zailani et al. (2012) have also considered operations performance
as another dimension. Competitiveness as a dimension was added by Tracey et al.
(1999), Rao and Holt (2005), Li et al. (2006), Rao et al. (2009) and Yang et al. (2010).
Various researchers have items that overlap between the economic, operations and
competitive performance. Hence Das, (2017) has coined the term ‘operations
performance’ in lieu of ‘economic performance’.
1.Environmental Performance (EPR)
There are various performance metrics for gauging the EPR of a firm. Reduction in
the discharge of solid waste, liquid waste, gaseous waste, toxic materials; reduction
in the cost of effluent treatment and discharge; reduction in the frequency of
environmental accident are some of the metrics(Zhu and Sarkis, 2004; 2007; Zhu et
al., 2007; 2008a; Rao et al., 2009; Harms et al., 2013; Esfahbodi et al., 2016) . Welford
and Frost (2006) suggested another metric as reduction in the occurrences of accident
on the shopfloor while Pullman et al. (2009) and Harms et al. (2013) suggested
protection of biodiversity (Das, 2017;p:15).
2. Social Performance
The social dimension of a firm can be monitored and evaluated with regard to
employees and the community in terms of the improvement in the capabilities of
employees and the creation of an enabling environment for the surrounding
community.
The employee-centred social performance (ESP) is reflected in terms of reduction

in inequity in employees’ remuneration, improvement of employees’ health, working
condition, and living condition.
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The community-centred social performance (CSP) is indicated in terms of
corporate social image , enhancement of opportunity in employment/business of the
surrounding community, improvement in their level of education, literacy level, and
health (Das,2017). CSP empowers the employees to develop their capabilities within
the organization.
3. Operations performance (OPR)
OPR refers to the extent of improvement in organizational performance in terms of

decrease in cost and improvement of efficiency across the whole supply chain. There
is a significant positive association between advanced operations management
systems and mass operational and lean operational performance. Decrease in cost of
purchased materials/cost of production, decrease in the energy consumption/cost of
energy consumption, improvement of logistics efficiency are all indicators of OPR.
4. Competitiveness
The capabilities of a firm that differentiates it from its competitors as a result of critical
management decisions indicate the firm’s competitiveness. Some of the metrics for
competitiveness are cost/ price, quality, delivery dependability/ fill rate and
improvement in productivity/ capacity utilization.
Several other items also have a bearing in improving the competitiveness of a firm like
differentiation in competition/products, retention of customer base, new market
opportunities, improvement in corporate image.
The pivotal work of Porter and Linde (1995) reveals that a firm can become immensely
competitive by undertaking green initiatives. Similar suggestions were also made by
Rao and Holt (2005) that environmental stewardness has become an important
element in improving the competitiveness of a firm with the growing awareness of the
customers towards environmental issues.
Environmental management practices, socially inclusive practices, operations

practices, and supply chain integration are the building blocks of SSCM practices and
Page | 44
complementary in nature, they represent the practices adopted by a firm from the point
of sustainability.
Managers working in an SSCM environment are sensitised to keep the environmental

and social impact of operations practices in mind, while implementing the practices
relating to cost reduction or waste reduction. They are encouraged to apply socially
and environmentally friendly operations practices in the organization.
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METHODOLOGY
Page | 46
3. METHODOLOGY
3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN
Creswell and Creswell (2018) have indicated that research approaches are plans and
the procedures that span the steps from broad assumptions to detailed methods of
data collection, analysis, and interpretation while involving various decisions.
The approach used to study this topic was based on the nature of the issue being
addressed, the researchers’ personal experiences, and the audiences for the study.
Qualitative data tends to be open-ended without predetermined responses while

quantitative data usually includes closed-ended responses such as found on
questionnaires or psychological instrument. Hence a mixed methods research was
selected as it resides in the middle of this continuum and incorporates elements of
both the above-mentioned approaches.
Mixed methods research involves collecting both quantitative and qualitative data,
integrating the two forms of data with the assumption that there will be additional
insight into the issue at hand.
The author chose to use a convergent mixed methods design on the assumption that
collecting diverse types of data best provides a more complete understanding of a
research problem than either quantitative or qualitative data alone.
The study begins with literature review on the subject followed by a survey of a large
number of individuals from the apparel manufacturer exporters (in form of a close-
ended questionnaire) and then follow up with a few individuals ( from various fields in
the apparel chain) to obtain their specific views and their voices about the topic (via
interview).
Both qualitative and quantitative forms of data have been collected at roughly the
same time and then integrated for the interpretation of the overall results.
Contradictions or incongruent findings are explained or further probed in this design.
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3.2 METHODS AND TOOLS OF DATA COLLECTION
Fig 3.1 Flowchart of the methodology followed

Page | 48
Koberg and Longoni (2019) have stated that systematic literature review and analysis
is a secondary study of available research relevant to a particular area or phenomenon
of interest (Thorisdottir and Johannsdottir, 2019) through identification, evaluation and
interpretation.
This process includes some key facets like planning, conducting an interview, analysis
and reporting of findings. It helps researchers to demonstrate a transparent and
reproducible process of selection, analysis and reporting of previously conducted
research on a specific subject (Yang et al., 2017).
The literature review is an integral part of the research process and makes a valuable
contribution to almost every operational step. It has value even before the first step;
that is, when one is thinking about a research question that one may want to find
answers to. It helps to establish the theoretical roots of one’s study, clarify one’s ideas
and develop the research methodology at the initial stages of research. Later in the
process, the literature review enhances and consolidates one’s own knowledge base
and helps to integrate one’s findings with the existing body of knowledge.
The author first developed the criteria for inclusion of articles for the purpose of
collecting material in line with the research subject matter and the set time frame of
January 2021- end March 2021 since the subject matter of sustainability has been
vastly studied and researched.
Academic journal papers are a secondary source of information that provide rich
information across a broad range of topics sufficient for achieving the research
objectives. This has been further substantiated by industry reports, newspaper articles
and books.
Articles focused on sustainable supply chain literature published in peer-reviewed

journals were identified using Google scholar search engine and different keywords
such as “sustainable practices” in “apparel/textile/fashion industry”, “environmental
sustainability”, “ sustainable apparel”, “sustainability India fashion”, “sustainable
fashion supply chain”. Logical operators (i.e., OR, AND) and synonyms of sustainable
practices were used to ensure a broad coverage of relevant papers for inclusion.
Published articles were extracted from Science Direct, MDPI, Emerald Insight and
Springer Link. Some articles were also selected by cross referencing because the
literature is intrinsically linked to a considerable degree.
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The author reviewed the literature systematically and classified the existing
sustainable practices in the industry and the barriers to implementation of these
practices as studied by peers in this and unrelated fields in various countries.
This study is indicative of the triple bottom line and stakeholder theoretical viewpoint
by identifying barriers to SSCM practices and their impact on social, environmental,
and economic levels of firm.
The next tool used for primary data collection was a questionnaire. A questionnaire
is a written list of questions, the answers to which are recorded by respondents. In a
questionnaire respondents read the questions, interpret what is expected and then
write down the answers.
A close ended questionnaire which ensures structure and sequential order was
devised to establish the sustainable practices being followed in the Indian apparel
exports industry, the enablers and barriers for the same.
Given the time restrictions and the size of the sample, it was not possible to interview
the candidates individually and hence the questions were formulated using a Google
form and sent to the respondents via email.
For a 360 view of the issues, interviews of experts across the supply chain were
carried out.
According to Burns (1997: p.329), ‘an interview is a verbal interchange, often face to
face, though the telephone may be used, in which an interviewer tries to elicit
information, beliefs or opinions from another person’.
On account of the restriction of travel due to the pandemic, the interviews were carried
out through Zoom video calls. Since the respondents came with varied backgrounds,
the format of the interview was semi-structured although there was a fixed set of
questions that were asked of respondents, there was flexibility in the sequence and
wording of the questions given that the subject matter is complex and covers sensitive
areas.
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3.3 SAMPLE SIZE AND SELECTION
The subject for this study are apparel manufacturers in India who are in the exports
business. As per the latest directory, there are 7, 686 exporters registered with the
AEPC.
Since the sample size was quite large for the study, it was filtered down to apparel
manufacturing exporters who are members of the AEPC (Apparel Exports Promotion
Council), India.
A member exporter of AEPC has to meet the below criterion:
▪ is a registered firm/company or in case of individual for sole proprietor firm,

he/she is more than 21 years of age on the date of application for membership.
▪ The applicant or any partner/director/karta of the firm/company has not been

adjudicated insolvent by a competent Court of Law.
▪ The applicant or any partner/director/karta of the firm/company has not been

convicted of an offence involving misconduct or moral turpitude.
▪ The aggregate export performance of garments of the firm/company is more

than Rs. 1 crore during previous three financial years.
This narrowed down the sample size to 1,154.
Over the years, the country has developed garment industry hubs in different regions
which are specialized in niche products, making it more convenient for international
players to source and work in India, e.g., Ludhiana, Bangalore, Delhi, Tirupur and
Jaipur. Each region functions as independent identities, self-sufficient in the technical,
raw material and labour needs of specific products.
For the scope of this study, the study was narrowed down the region of Delhi NCR
(National Capital Region) and Tirupur.
The garment industry in Delhi NCR is known for its ability to develop innovative
products and focus on value addition. With its resource of information on latest trend,
fashion, fabric, designs, technology, this hub is known for its ability to adapt the
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changes in fashion industry and its expertise in handling various fabrics. The labour in
this area is mostly migrants and men dominate the machines with heavy focus on
value-addition and embellishments. Technology is primarily focused on basic sewing
and value addition machines. Major Players: Orient Craft, Shahi Exports, Modelama,
Richa Garments, Orient Clothing, SPL, Pearl Global, Matrix, Addi Industries, all of
whom have created excellence in diverse product ranges and are servicing some of
the best retailers / brands in the global market.
Tirupur, also known as the knitwear capital of India, is located in the State of Tamil
Nadu and has witnessed the fastest growth of the knitwear sector from India in the last
10 years, largely because of the infrastructural development the city has experienced
during this time. It is one of the largest foreign exchange earning towns in India.
Integrated factory set-up either within the company or at arm’s length and its cost-
effective production are the biggest strengths with manufacturers located in Tirupur.
Technology is a key driver of Tirupur textile industry. Vendors are investing in capacity
and improved systems for bigger gains. Major Players: Eastman Exports, SP
Apparels, SCM, Best International, Centwin, Network Clothing and Stallion Garments.
Thus, the no of members in the areas are as below:
NCR – 390.
Tirupur- 368.
Emails were sent to all the above suppliers with a small write up explain the reason of
the study and the link to the google form.
In additional, contact details of the author were also provided should there be any
queries.
23 emails in NCR and 21 emails in Tirupur bounced on account of incorrect emails. It

is assumed that this could be on account of closures due to the covid pandemic and
the resultant impact on business.
Doane and Seward (2011) concluded that if the sample size is ≥30, it is advised
sufficient for statistical analysis. Nulty (2008) and Creswell and Garrett (2008)
recommended a response rate of 50% or more via a structured questionnaire while in
a mail survey, it can be 20% or low.
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Due to the sensitive nature of the information being shared, factories were not
responsive despite chasers on mails and WhatsApp. So finally, the author had to
resort to snowball sampling to ensure response to the questionnaire.
The structured survey comprised following sections:
▪ the first section included items regarding demographic information such as

name, location, contact details, year of inception, number of employees,
number of machines, company structure, production capacity respondent’s
experience and designation, etc.
▪ the second section includes the product profile and accreditation status of the
company
▪ the third section comprised statements regarding the SSCM practices followed
in the organization adapted from the research of Das (2017), Giunipero et al.
(2012), Kulatunga, Jayatilaka and Jayawickrama (2013) and others which were
measured on a five-point Likert-scale (e.g., 1 = Not Important, 2 = Slightly
Important, 3 = Important, 4 = Fairly Important, 5 = Very Important).
▪ Section 4 investigates the costs of implementing sustainable practices.
▪ The last section 5 aims to investigate the drivers and barriers affecting the
adoption of SSCM practices.
14 interviews of experts with varied specializations representing various sections of

the apparel supply chain was also conducted for a 360 view of the implementation of
Sustainable practices by IAME via a semi-structured format with a fixed set of
questions which were modified keeping in mind that the subject matter is complex and
covers sensitive areas.
Page | 53
3.4 TYPE OF DATA ANALYSIS TO BE USED
The method for the analysis of the Primary and Secondary data collected is content
analysis. The results were drawn and presented.
Page | 54
DATA ANALYSIS OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE
Page | 55
4. DATA ANALYSIS OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE
4.1 PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS
6%
33%
61%
PRIVATE LIMITED PARTNERSHIP FIRM PUBLIC LIMITED
The organizational structure defines the relationship and interactions between the
parts of any business and identifies how the chain of command runs through the
different levels. Financial structure refers to the mix of debt and equity that
a company uses to finance its operations. Thus, the company structure impacts the
financial opportunities that come to it.
➢ 94% of the IEMA falls into the category of Private Ltd or Partnership
model.
Page | 56
A private limited company is a company that is owned privately and is characterised
by lack of big shareholding and limited contribution. Money from personal savings,
friends and family, bank loans, and private equity through angel investors and venture
capitalists are all options for funding throughout the life cycle of a private company.
They have limited loan capacity due to low equity. It is generally characterised by non-
professional management. However, at the same time the owners are better invested
in the running of the business since they have better control over operations. Direct
supervision is possible due to the scale of operations. It is characterised by low
transparency, accountability and disclosures. This explains the hesitance towards
implementation of sustainable practices that require transparency and traceability
across the supply chain as it threatens the very model of the business. 61% of the
respondents fall in this category.
A partnership is an arrangement between two or more people to oversee business

operations and share its profits and liabilities. In a general partnership company, all
members share both profits and liabilities (legal and financial). The individuals are
personally held liable for any business debts of the partnership, which means that
creditors or other claimants can go after the partners' personal assets. Profits are also
shared equally. The specifics of profit sharing will almost certainly be laid out in writing
in a partnership agreement. This structure does not come under the Companies act.
Thus, this model is characterised by a low financial capacity, low compliance and
accountability. This model of business can be dissolved at any time. 33% of the
A public company (also referred to as a publicly held company) is listed on the stock
exchange and its activities are monitored by both SEBI as well as the government.
They are financially more stable as they can trade shares in the open market through
the stock exchange. By virtue of being a Public company, they need to disclose their
business and financial information to the general public and hence they are under
more scrutiny that the other business models. They are pushed towards greater
accountability and compliances. They have a higher number of stockholders and more
likely to get FDI (which could be accompanied by further compliance requirements).
Page | 57
They are normally professionally managed and tend to have better reporting,
disclosures and transparency. They have stricter audit norms and hence the chances
for human, environmental and financial regulatory violations are less. Only 6% of the
4.2 PRODUCT OFFER OF THE RESPONDENTS
The selected sample covers a range of product categories and is a true representative
of the IAME. As is evident from the above graphical representation, factories in India
predominantly produce womenswear products. It also reflects non-existence of bias in
the sample selection as the product offer of the IAME encompasses all categories.
In addition to the above, the questionnaire also explored the product portfolio of the
factories that participated in the survey. The factories were predominantly executing
woven products and less than 20% were manufacturing knit products.
Page | 58
PRODUCT PORTFOLIO OF IAME
75.00% 70.83%
62.50%
39.58%
33.33%
18.75% 18.75%
6.25% 2.08%
Woven Woven Woven Hi fashion Jackets Accessories Circular knits Flatknits Intimate
dresses & shirts/tops bottoms apparel
skirts
4.3 ACCREDITATION STATUS OF THE FACTORIES
The sample was questioned on the status of their accreditation with respect to
Environmental systems, Social standards, Quality management and Safety standards.
The industry benchmark standards were stated in the questionnaire.
Accreditation status
Safety standards OHSAS 18001 15%
Quality management system ISO 9001 50%
Social standards SA 8000 23%
Environmental protection systems ISO 14001 15%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Page | 59
The industry still shows a leaning towards implementation of quality standards while
the environmental and safety standards continue to take a back seat.
Quality Management system-
➢ 50 % of the IAME had implemented ISO 9001.
ISO 9001 requires that the organization documents their Quality Manual, Quality
Policy ,Quality Objectives & Quality Records.
➢ 2% of the IAME had ISO 13485 while 4% had other audits requested by
their brands. The balance followed the own QMS systems.
Social Standards-
SA 8000 which is a voluntary certification and sets the benchmark for international
standard for social accountability, confirms compliance with labour rights and serves
as a pillar of demonstrable commitment to established social standards of corporate
governance. SA8000 imposes the same requirements on companies as
the BSCI standard but also includes a management system comparable to ISO 9001.
➢ Only 23% of the IAME had implemented SA 8000, 10% of the sample had
BSCI compliance in place , 15% had SMETA, 8.33% had WRAP while 2%
ETI.
Environmental Protection Standards-
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ISO 14001 is the international standard for environmental management systems
(EMS) and the most widely used EMS in the world, with over 360,000 ISO
14001 certificates issued globally. ISO 14001 is the principal management system
standard which specifies the requirements for the formulation and maintenance of an
EMS. It provides a framework that an organization can follow, rather than establishing
environmental performance requirements.
➢ 15% of the IAME had implemented ISO140001.
➢ 2% had undertaken the Think Green Initiative and another 2% had

implemented the HIGGS index. The other companies followed the Indian
local laws.
Based on the above statistics it can be deduced that EMS are lacking in most factories
and need to be looked into on priority in line with the changing focus of the international
clients to Sustainability.
Safety Standards-
OHSAS 18001 is an international occupational health and safety management system

specification that empowers an organization to control its OH&S risks and improve its
performance. It was developed in response to the widespread demand for a
recognized standard against which to be certified and assessed, mainly due to the
proliferation of certifiable OH&S specifications. OHSAS 18001:2007 has been
developed to be compatible with the ISO 9001 (Quality) and ISO 14001
(Environmental) management systems standards.
In India, the Factories Act 1948, amended 1954, 1970, 1976, 1987 sets the standard
for the safety requirements to be implemented in a manufacturing unit.
➢ In the survey only 15% of the IAME had implemented OHSAS18001.
Page | 61
Factories that did not have the OHSAS18001 had no requests from their clients for
this standard and hence were following the Indian laws on the same.
4.4 SOCIALLY INCLUSIVE PRACTICES FOR EMPLOYEES (SPE)
The questionnaire was used to evaluate the following Socially inclusive practices for
employees (SPE) of the IAME :
▪ The safety measures undertaken by the organization.
▪ Healthy and positive working environment for the employees.
▪ Use of child labour and forced labour.
▪ The wages and perquisites given out to the employees.
▪ Leave entitlement, provident fund, medical benefits and other facilities.
Socially inclusive practices for employees (SPE)

Our organization provides
safe, healthy and positive
working environment for the
employees.
100%
90% Use of child labour and
Annual Bonus 80% forced labour is not allowed
70% in our organization.
60%
50%
40%
30% Our employees enjoy the
20% right to form and join trade
Gratuity
10% unions and bargain
0% collectively
The wages and perquisites

Our employees are entitled given out to the employees,
to medical benefits particularly to the workers
are sufficient to meet their…
Our employees are entitled Our employees are entitled

to provident fund to leaves and other facilities.
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➢ The survey highlighted that the IAME tend to implement the social
practices that are driven by the regulatory authorities and Labour laws of
the land.
➢ Practices like Annual bonuses and Gratuity that are not mandatory were
followed by only 4% and 2% of the IAME, respectively.
4.5 SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS OFFER OF THE IAME
The textiles and apparel supply chain begins with raw materials. These are used as
feedstock for the production of fibre, yarns and fabric. More than half of the
environmental footprint of the textile and apparel industry is created at this stage.
➢ The survey revealed that most IAME have one or more sustainable
material offer in their product mix.
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➢ The IAME’s move towards a sustainable material offer has mostly been
driven by their customers which explains why only 4% did not have any
sustainable offers in place.
The above funnel chart clearly indicates a pre-dominance of Cotton as a material

offer by the Indian industry.
4.6 SSCM PRACTICES IMPLEMENTED BY THE IAME
The questionnaire was designed to assess the SSCM practices that are being
implemented in the industry by using the Likert Scale which is a five-point scale used
to allow the respondent to express how much they agree or disagree with a particular
statement:
rating 1 (strongly disagree); 2 (disagree); 3 (Neutral); 4(agree); 5(strongly agree).
Environmental management practices (EMP)
1. 77% of the IAME work towards eco-friendly design/distribution of products

and provide design specification to their suppliers that include
environmental compliance for the purchased item.
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
46%
20%
15% 31%
10%
15%
5%
6% 2%
0%
strongly agree agree neutral disagree strongly disagree
Page | 64
2. 44% respondents have claimed that they help suppliers set up
environmental management system / get ISO 14001 certification. Since only
15 % respondents had the ISO 14001 certification, it can be safely deduced that
the minimum standards dictated by the law of the land would be followed.
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
35%
15% 31%
10%
13% 13%
5%
8%
0%
3. 73% of the IAME are successfully designing their products to consume

reduced amount of input materials / energy.
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20% 40%
33%
15%
10%
17%
5% 8%
2%
0%
Page | 65
4. 65% of the respondents utilize a sizeable share of renewable sources of
energy. It would be worthwhile to research this further to establish the alternate
sources being used and how it is impacting the firm’s carbon footprint.
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
38%
15%
27%
10% 19%
13%
5%
4%
0%
5. 73% respondents use recyclable and easily recoverable materials during the
design of clothes. This is another area that would need further research to figure
out the recyclable materials , the route of recycling used as well as the kind of
recycling used—mechanical, chemical, upcycling, downcycling, etc.
60%
50%
40%
30%
50%
20%
10% 23%
17%
8% 2%
0%
Page | 66
6. 63% of the IAME design products which are reusable/ recoverable/
recyclable.
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
35%
15% 29%
27%
10%
5%
8%
0%
0%
7. 90% of the IAME have successfully avoided or reduced the use of hazardous
materials in both product design and manufacturing process. This would have
been driven by the local law of the land on pollution and environment and stringent
requirements from overseas clients.
70%
60%
50%
40%
67%
30%
20%
10% 23%
4% 6% 0%
0%
➢ 8% of the respondents were aligned with ‘Clear to wear’
Page | 67
➢ 10% of the IAME stated that they were using STeP16 (Sustainable Textile
Production)
➢ The product offer of 40% of the respondents included Oeko-Tex 100 17
certified apparel.
8. 73% of the IAME address environmental concerns through green packaging

while 4% respondents stated that they were aligned with Eco-safe18.
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
35% 38%
15%
23%
10%
5%
0% 4%
0%
Operations practices (OP)
1. There is no place for low quality products any longer and this has been recognised
by IAME. The below results reiterates the fact that 96% of IAME invests in
Quality Management system (QMS) and follow it in its true spirit to build quality
16
STeP is a certification for production facilities of all processing stages from Fibre production,
spinning mills, weaving mills, knitting mills to finishing mills and manufacturers of ready-made textile
items.
17
This standard is applicable for textile products and accessory materials and for articles from all
levels of production including any textile and non-textile components as well as recycled materials.
18
EcoSafe® manufactures compostable film products intended to replace conventional plastics. They
design and implement technology-based zero-waste solutions .Their innovative solutions educate
waste generators allowing them to divert contamination-free organic waste and recyclables from landfill.
Page | 68
into the product as quality product is a given. This also reflected in the findings
on the accreditation status of the companies.
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
69%
30%
20%
27%
10%
2% 0% 2%
0%
2. 82 % of the respondents have stated that they follow Just-in-

time/Scientific inventory control technique consistently to keep inventory
under control in the production environment which is reflected in the fact that all
IAME are constantly working towards improving costs and efficiencies.
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20% 40% 42%
15%
10%
15%
5%
4% 0%
0%
3. 84% of the respondents have indicated that they have implemented lean
production and follow it consistently to minimize waste. The balance 18%
Page | 69
would have faced challenges due to the nature of their business which involved
multiple styles and low order volumes.
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
44%
20% 40%
15%
10%
5% 10%
6% 0%
0%
4. 65 % of the respondents have confirmed that they facilitate their suppliers

to implement TQM/Six sigma/TPM/TQC to build quality into the product.
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
46%
20%
15%
27%
10% 19%
5%
2% 6%
0%
5. Most IAME are actively involved in price reduction activities and as reflected in
the below data 73% of the respondents facilitate their suppliers in carrying
out Value Engineering to reduce the cost of components.
Page | 70
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20% 42%
15% 31%
10% 21%
5%
0% 6%
0%
6. 81% respondents confirmed that they attempt to achieve economies of

scale in inbound and or outbound transportation. It is a normal practise for
them to co-ordinate and manage the incoming and outgoing merchandise to
minimize costs, exceptions being missing delivery dates/ penalties which may
push them otherwise.
60%
50%
40%
30%
48%
20%
33%
10%
15%
4% 0%
0%
Page | 71
Supply chain integration(SCI)
1. 92% of the IAME update their production plan as per the changing needs
of their respective customers and share the same information with their
supply chain.
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
69%
30%
20%
10% 23%
2% 4% 2%
0%
2. 92% of the IAME establish frequent contact with supply chain members
and keep them updated on their customer's future needs. This gives them
more control of their inventory and production management.
60%
50%
40%
30%
52%
20% 40%
10%
8% 0% 0%
0%
Page | 72
3. 75% of the respondents confirmed that they actively estimate their
customers’ future needs based on realistic assessment and respond to
their needs fairly quickly by keeping adequate amount of finished goods
inventory. The balance 25% did not follow this. This solely depends on
customer’s the business model.
60%
50%
40%
30%
48%
20%
27%
10% 19%
6% 0%
0%
1. 94% of the IAME claim that the safety measures undertaken by their
organization are quite advanced and reduce the risk to accident.
70%
60%
50%
40%
65%
30%
20%
29%
10%
4% 0% 2%
0%
Page | 73
Socially inclusive practices for community (SPC)
1. 90% of the respondents provide employment/business opportunities to

the surrounding community.
60%
50%
40%
30%
54%
20%
35%
10%
8% 0% 2%
0%
2. 54% IAME provide health care facilities to the local community.
35%
30%
25%
20%
15% 29%
27%
25%
10%
5% 10%
8%
0%
Page | 74
3. 33% of the respondents are involved in providing primary education
facilities to the people living in the area surrounding their facilities.
35%
30%
25%
20%
33%
15%
10% 21%
19%
15%
13%
5%
0%
4.7 COST OF SUSTAINABILITY
There is a gamut of activities that are required for the implementation of sustainability
practices and each activity has its associated costs which would vary with the size of
the organization and the number of personnel involved with the activity:
1. Acquiring know-how – The most important thing to be gained during the

implementation project is knowledge which necessary not only for the
implementation, but also for later maintenance of the standard.
2. Perform an initial review and Gap analysis.
3. The costs associated with taking corrective and preventive action in order to
comply with the standard.
4. External help –The help can come from consultants and other sources. The
company could also opt for an internal audit.
5. Cost of employees – This is a cost that is often hidden, because companies are
already paying their employees and they rarely see the employees’ time as
Page | 75
additional cost. The fact is that the employees will be dealing with the
implementation activities rather than doing their regular assignments. What you
want to avoid is to pay someone a manager’s or engineer’s salary for
determining what documents are mandatory for any standard.
6. The cost of preparing for the audit.
7. The cost of an independent audit by a third party.
8. The cost of the certification.
9. The costs associated with taking corrective actions to resolve problems (if
nonconformities have been identified).
10. The cost of maintaining the system- The cost of the surveillance and
recertification audits are often smaller than the certification audits.
Acquiring know-how
Cost of an independent
Certification costs
audit by third party
Perform an Initial Review &

Gap Analysis Cost of the implemention Costs associated with taking
of controls corrective actions to resolve
problems in case of
nonconformities
Taking corrective and

preventive action in order to Cost of preparing for the
comply with the standard audit
Cost of maintaining the
system
External help of consultant for

Cost of employees -time,
verification of compliance or
Internal audit training, documentation
Fig 4.1 Analysis of the costs involved when implementing an accreditation / certification.
Page | 76
Below is a snapshot of the costs of some of the popular accreditations:
▪ ISO 9001- INR 25k to 75K plus taxes
▪ SA 8000- INR 25k to 75K plus taxes per day
▪ ISO 14001- INR 95K onwards plus taxes per day
▪ BSCI- INR 36k to 75K plus taxes per day
▪ SMETA- INR 40k plus taxes
▪ WRAP- INR 73K onwards plus taxes per day
➢ The above are estimates, travel costs may need to be added to these.
The feedback on the cost burden of sustainability has been a mixed one. The
certification costs are just one element of the costs involved.
➢ The cost of certification depends on the size, scope, and location of the
facility and varies depending on the number of days and auditors needed to
conduct the audit at the facility.
Each factory therefore mentioned a different amount that they invested for
accreditation purposes.
➢ GOTS certification we have invested Rs. 1,07,500/- +GST.
➢ We have invested in the following certifications in INR
1. BCI - 50,000
2. OCS -90,000
Page | 77
3. GOTS- 1,00,000
4. WRAP-2,50,000
5. GRS-1,50,000
6. CTPAT – 60,000
7. Oeko-tex-6,00,000
8. ISO- 5,00,000
9. FAMA-60,000 (Facility & Merchandise Authorization for Walt Disney)
➢ While 23% of the IAME have claimed that their international clients have
passed on the onus of sustainability onto them (the factories), 8% stated
that their clients have appreciated their efforts and shared the resultant
upcharges. Another 38% indicated that their clients have appreciated
their efforts and accepted the resultant upcharges.
The study also aimed at investigating how the implementation of sustainability adds to
the costs of the company.
➢ 50% respondents reported that 30 min or less were invested in terms of

manhours for completion of the resultant additional paperwork and
systems. However, 25% respondents indicated the need for more time to
be dedicated for this task.
➢ 4% respondents had multiple people involved as a team to perform these

tasks.
Page | 78
Additional Manhours for paperwork and systems
followup
60%
50%
50%
40%
30%
19%
20% 17%
10% 6%
4% 4%
0%
less than 30 min 1 -2 hr each day more than 3 hrs 1 dedicated Multiple people no response
each day each day person involved as a
team
As visible from the below clustered bar chart, while 29% respondents hired a
separate person for sustainability activities, most companies spread the work
across the various departments for a seamless implementation and follow up
Involvement of personnel at IAME in sustainability

activities
35%
30%
25%
20%
33% 31%
15% 29%
10% 21% 21%

13% 15%
5%
0%
Merchandiser Sustainable Additional hire General Fabric manager Production no response
head Manager manager
Page | 79
4.8 BARRIERS TO IMPLEMENTATION OF SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES
➢ 92% of the IAME responded to this portion of the survey out of which 6%
indicated that these practices were not relevant for them.
Barriers to implementation of Sustainable

Practices
Not relevant for us 6%

Inadequate facility for adoptions of reverse logistic
6%
practices
Difficulty in creating external awareness of green
10%
strategies and associated support
Lack of resources 10%
Lack of sustainability standards and appropriate
10%
regulations
Too difficult to change current company practices 13%
No specific benchmarking tool 13%
Very high cost for disposal of hazardous wastes 15%
High coordination effort and complexity 15%

High MOQ for sustainable fabrics does not work for our
17%
business model
High Cost of environmentally friendly packaging 17%
Lack of availability of options for environmentally
21%
friendly packaging
Customer demand is not too high 21%
Lack of clarity regarding sustainability 21%
Lack of training and education about sustainability 23%
High cost of raw materials required for implementation 29%

No tax benefits or incentives for implementing
38%
sustainability initiatives from govt
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Page | 80
The results reveal that the economic barriers negatively affect the adoption of
sustainable business practices. Firms facing economic barriers in the form of high
implementation cost and lack of financial resources are less likely to adopt these
practices. Some of the hindrances to implementation of SP that came to light from the
survey is as below:
➢ 29% of the respondents indicated the high cost of raw materials required for
implementation.
➢ 17% indicated the high cost of environmentally friendly packaging.
➢ 15% highlighted the extremely high cost of disposal of hazardous wastes
This result is consistent with previous findings that have reported cost constraints to
be significant barriers faced by firm managers to implement environmental practices
(Ervin et al. 2013; Johnstone and Labonne 2009; Jeswani et al. 2008). The suppliers
in developing countries face more difficulties while incorporating sustainable supply
chain practices, with pressures for implementation accompanied by a continuous
demand for low prices (Baig et al., 2020).
➢ Another hindrance that was highlighted in the survey by 38% of the respondents
was the lack of tax benefits or incentives for implementing sustainability
initiatives from government.
➢ 21% of the respondents cited lack of clarity regarding sustainability
➢ 13% have stated that there are no specific benchmarking tools for Sustainability
➢ 10% have mentioned lack of sustainability standards and appropriate

regulations
➢ Lack of training and education about sustainability has been highlighted by 23%
of the respondents.
Page | 81
➢ “Sustainability is a scam ! BCI is charging 600 Euro to the customer and also
to the factory to be on their portal. This is for passing on the points and in also
they take a part of the fees to train the farmer. To increase their profit, they have
slowed the production which has artificially raised the demand the benefits of
which in turn the spinners are enjoying. As from the last 2 months , there is a
constant increase in yarn price by 10-20/- per kg. Which is insane! Farmer’s
price is the same, but spinners are increasing price everyday making the market
volatile. And the final customers wants to maintain the same price”.
➢ “Overall lack of knowledge within the industry is our hurdle to move further”.
➢ “SSCM is still a dream to implement for many garment manufacturers due to

lack of availability of raw material and proper guidance”.
Managerial barriers are found to be another challenging factor for applying SSCM
practices in the apparel sector of India.
➢ 29% of the respondents felt that the middle level managers were not actively
involved and supportive for actual implementation of SSCM practices.
40%
35%
30%
25%
20% 38%
33%
15%
10% 23%
5%
2% 4%
0%
strongly agree agree neutral disagree strongly
disagree
Page | 82
➢ 8% respondents felt that the top management was not highly committed
towards implementation of SSCM programs in their organization committed
while 15% were neutral which reflects the apathy that still exists in almost a
quarter on the industry towards SDGs.
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20% 42%
35%
15%
10%
15%
5%
2% 6%
0%
➢ 23% respondents indicated the lack of training and education about

sustainability.
4.9 DRIVERS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES
▪ 29% of the IAME implement sustainable practices to maintain a competitive

position.
▪ 23% of the IAME indicated that green initiative was part of their group
sustainability activities.
▪ 23% of the respondents stated that their supply chain partners were already
implementing green initiatives.
▪ 19% of the respondents have implemented sustainable measure as a direct

result of demand from foreign buyers.
Page | 83
Drivers f or implementation of Sustainable Practices
To maintain a competitive position 29%
The green initiative was part of our group sustainability

23%
activities
Our supply chain partners were already implementing

21%
green initiatives
Demand from foreign buyers 19%
➢ “We believe Sustainable Textiles will be the future but expect huge support from
big brands in order to increase interest of garment manufacturers towards
sustainability”.
In some cases, companies have a stronger lever to pull than governments do. By
aligning their business and sustainability strategies to the Global Goals — or more
radically, reshaping their business models — companies are able to position
themselves as global leaders, rather than merely business leaders, and reframe their
achievements as wins for the world. Not only does business hold the key to long term
SDG success but the SDGs will help shape business transformation. Shahi Exports,
Eastman exports, Arvind are some of the leaders in this field.
4.10 SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE OF IAME
85% IAME responded that they had implemented SSCM in their business.
Page | 84
Sustainability Performance Indicators
We trace our carbon foot print and can quantify carbon

10%
credits
We source locally with a focus on reducing

transportation time and thereby CO2 emissions linked 17%
to the movement of goods thereby limiting the…
We have additionally invested in infrastructure to
enable various environmental, social , quality and safety 38%
standards
We have invested in R&D to explore new sustainable

44%
fabric and design offers
The cost of raw materials is more thereby increasing the

42%
final product cost
We have achieved the green goals which was a part of

35%
our company's vision
We have been able to maintain a competitive position in

38%
the market
Business SKU have increased but volume remains the

8%
same
Business volumes have increased 27%
Foreign buyers have appreciated our efforts and shared

8%
the resultant upcharges
Foreign buyers have appreciated our efforts and

38%
accepted the resultant upcharges
Foreign buyers have passed on the onus of sustainability

23%
onto us, the factories
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
▪ 35% have stated that they have achieved the green goals which was a part of
their company's vision.
▪ 44% of the respondents have invested in R&D to explore new sustainable fabric
and design offers.
Page | 85
▪ 38% have additionally invested in infrastructure to enable various
environmental, social , quality and safety standards.
▪ 10% state that they trace their carbon footprint and can quantify carbon credits.
▪ 17% of the IAME indicated that they source locally with a focus on reducing
transportation time and thereby CO2 emissions linked to the movement of
goods thereby limiting the distances travelled for raw materials and finished
products. However, the client practices can be a limiting factor for this practice
especially in case of nominated fabrics, trims, accessories which has become
the norm in the last few years as a means for quality control.
▪ 42% have mentioned that the cost of raw materials is more thereby increasing
the final product cost but what is interesting is that while 8% have stated that
business SKU have increased but volume remains the same, 27% have
stated business volumes have increased. These statistics should encourage
the IAME to implement sustainable practices.
▪ 38% have indicated that they have been able to maintain a competitive position
in the market .
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GOVERNMENT POLICY AND IT’S USAGE IN THE APPAREL
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
Page | 87
5. GOVERNMENT POLICY AND IT’S USAGE IN THE APPAREL
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
India has an elaborate and strong set of laws that impact various aspects of business
be it labour laws that directly impact the workers at the manufacturing facility or
environmental protection laws that impact the operations of the facility. India is a
founder member of the International Labour Organization, ILO which came into being
in 1919 and the Indian lawmakers have aligned themselves to the international norms
set by the ILO.
5.1 INDIAN LABOUR LAWS
There is a myriad of labor laws that are in force across the country and also separately
at the state level as a result of which business organizations – especially those with
operations in different parts of India – encounter numerous compliances and
procedures covering prohibition of discrimination and child labour, guarantee of fair
and humane conditions of work, minimum wage, right to organize and form trade
unions and enforce collective bargaining.
▪ Minimum Wages Act 1948 The act ensures minimum wages for each category
of workers.
▪ Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 Prohibits employment of

children below 14 years of age.
▪ The Labours Act 1988 Ensures health and safety of construction workers.
▪ The Factories Act, 1948 Ensures Health and safety considerations of workers.
▪ Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923 Ensure fair compensation in case of injury

by accidents during the course of employment.
▪ Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 Ensures basic welfare
measures to be made available to the contract workers by the employer.
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▪ The Building and other Construction Workers Act, 1996 Ensures safety
measures at construction work site and other welfare measures such as
canteens, first-aid facilities, ambulance, housing accommodation for Workers
near the Workplace etc.
▪ The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions

of Service) Act, 1979
The government has consolidated the labor law framework into four labor law codes
covering different aspects of employment law in India with the primary aim of
promoting ease of doing business in the country. Expected to come into force as laws
by early to mid-2021, the new set of regulations consolidates 44 labour laws under 4
categories of codes namely the Wage Code, Social Security Code, Occupational
Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code and the Industrial Relations Code. The
code on wages was passed by Parliament in 2019 while the three other codes got
clearance from both the Houses in 2020 .
Code on Wages
This stipulates the minimum wages payable and the manner in which wages are paid.
It is applicable to all workers and employees in an organization, both in the organized
and unorganized sectors.
This code also makes specific provisions for timely payment of wages and payment of
bonuses and overtime wages, and it enhances penalties (from current levels) for non-
compliance. While certain types of wage deductions will be permitted, such deductions
cannot exceed 50 percent of the total wages drawn by an employee or worker.
Code on Social Security
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This code stipulates the mandatory employment benefits to be provided to employees.
In addition to the existing legislation related to maternity benefits, pensions, social
security, etc., that remain unchanged and thus would require little re-evaluation by
companies. This code enhances penalties for non-compliance but permits some
offenses to be compounded (and settled by a monetary settlement).
The new aspect of this code is that it introduces new categories of workers who will
be eligible for social security benefits – these include individuals who were not eligible
for such benefits in the past, such as gig-workers (freelancers), workers accessing
platforms to provide services (e.g., aggregators, ride-hailing services, delivery and
courier providers, etc.) and other categories of unorganized workers (e.g., self-
employed workers). While the code broadly states that contributions by companies
employing such categories of workers will be in the range of 1 to 2 percent of the
annual turnover of the company (subject to a cap of 5 percent of the amount paid or
payable to such workers), the details on specific benefits are yet to be laid out.
The Indian government has been entrusted with the power to frame the benefit
schemes (such as health insurance, social security contributions, life and disability
coverage, etc.) to be provided to such workers, who will be notified by the government
after a consultative process with representatives of such companies.
Industrial Relations Code
This stipulates the provisions related to the handling of employment disputes, layoff
and retrenchment of workers, recognition and operation of trade unions and minimum
standards for formulation and registration of employment standing orders (policies).
As a measure to relax some of the requirements to be followed while retrenching

employees, this code revises the rules for laying off and retrenching workers (e.g.,
prior governmental approval for retrenchment is now necessary only in case of
industrial establishments employing at least 300 workers – an increase from the
previous threshold of 100 workers or more). Although some experts have compared
this to the American “hire and fire” model, this code retains certain safeguards to
protect employees from being fired without notice and compensation and also obliges
Page | 90
companies to contribute into a workers’ re-skilling fund for each employee who is
retrenched. (Paleri, 2021)
Employment of workers for fixed durations (fixed-term employment) with entitlement

to receive all employee benefits on a pro-rated basis (including gratuity), mandatory
dedicated grievance redressal mechanisms for all workers and employers (who meet
pre-defined thresholds) and are obliged to create and register standing orders
describing the working conditions of all workers.
This code also sets out new rules for identifying (sole) negotiating trade unions and
enhances penalties for non-compliance.
Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code
This covers all mines and docks and all business establishments and factories
employing a minimum of 10 workers, and it prescribes the standards to be followed by
companies to ensure the safety and health of employees and workers.
Benefits such as providing free annual health examinations and issuing a letter of
appointment to all employees will be mandatory. Once the code is implemented,
companies will have to register their establishments within 60 days; registration is
compulsory for all business establishments under purview of the code, and no
employment is permissible without registration. Compulsory licenses are required to
employ contract labor.
Employers as well as employees are obliged to maintain and follow good health and
safety practices, and both can be penalised for non-compliance.
Sector-specific provisions will be made that to ensure safety policies are reviewed for
companies according to the type of establishment e.g., workers employed in factories
are subject to different standards of leave and working hours. In general, this code
mandates that working hours are to be for a maximum duration of eight hours a day
and no more than six days a week. This code permits overtime work with prior consent
of employees and payment of overtime wages (calculated at twice the normal wages)
Page | 91
and allows employment of workers on a contractual or fixed-term basis, regardless of
sector.
The new labour codes will aid simplification of procedures and reduction in
requirements, resulting in reduced compliance costs and single registrations will
suffice. They enable hiring workers for a fixed duration, which will encourage
companies to hire individuals directly rather than through contract agencies.
Consequences of non-compliance will be more severe since penalties have been
enhanced and hence one can expect better adherence to the laws.
➢ The code empowers a state government to exempt any new factory from
the provisions of the Code to create more economic activity and jobs. The
development assumes significance with states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya
Pradesh and Gujarat announcing sweeping amendments or exemptions to laws
for three years, while others, including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Assam and Odisha increasing working hours to 12 hours per day for three
months in May 2020 arguing that such modifications would help Indian
employers cope with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and boost
investment in manufacturing industries. On 14 May, 10 central trade unions
wrote to the Geneva-based ILO highlighting the plight of workers and the
violation of ILO convention No 14419. Fair Wear Foundation20, along with five
other influential organisations, has signed and sent a letter in response to the
Indian government. Fair Wear Foundation represents more than 2,000 brands
and retailers from over 30 countries, primarily in North America and Europe,
that are committed to working with business partners that uphold the legal rights
of workers and to sourcing from countries in which international labour
standards are respected.
19
Nanda, P., 2020. ILO expresses 'deep concern' over labour law changes, appeals to PM Modi.
[online] mint. Available at: <https://www.livemint.com/news/india/ilo-expresses-deep-concern-over-
labour-law-changes-appeals-to-pm-narendra-modi-11590394493866.html> [Accessed 3 April 2021].
20
Natives, D., 2020. Fair Wear urges Indian government to address threats to essential labour rights –
Fair Wear. [online] Fairwear.org. Available at: <https://www.fairwear.org/stories/emergency-letter-
india-labour-rights> [Accessed 3 April 2021].
Page | 92
The implementation of material aspects of the new labor codes is also subject to
directions issued by the government periodically which adds a degree of uncertainty
into the requirements and practices companies will be required to follow.
In June 2020, GoI announced the development of a National Employment Policy

(NEP), with a focus to generate employment opportunities and attracting foreign
investments and businesses in India. The NEP targets to create a skilled and
employable workforce while also providing social security protections.
5.2 ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS IN INDIA
The framework of the Indian constitution suggests the need for protection and
conservation of environment and sustainable use of natural resources. The
international commitments of India also reflect these. Art 51A-Fundamental Duties as
stated in the constitution under Part IVA directs that it is the duty of every Indian citizen
to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and
wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures. This is further stipulated in the
Art 48A-Directive Principles of State Policies as states in the constitution of India under
Part IV that the State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to
safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country.
UN Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm, 1972) helped push

establishment of the National Council for Environmental Policy and Planning in 1972
which later evolved into the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). The CPCB
(Central Pollution Control Board), SPCBs (State Pollution Control Boards) and the
MoEF are together responsible for the regulatory and administrative activities of the
sector like laws and policies addressing water and air pollution, chemical and oil spills,
smog, drinking water quality, land conservation and management, and wildlife
protection, such as the protection of endangered species.
The key legislations for environment protection are as follows:
▪ The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 to deal with all environmental laws
relating to air and water pollution, the Environment Protection Act, the Forest
Page | 93
Conservation Act and the Biodiversity Act as have been set out in Schedule I
of the NGT Act. It also enables enforcement of any legal right relating to
environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and
property, etc.
▪ The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 to control air
pollution by controlling emission of air pollutants as per the prescribed
standards ( ambient air quality standards). The Air Act empowers the State
Government, after consultation with the SPCBs, to declare any area or areas
within the Sate as air pollution control area or areas. Under the Act, establishing
or operating any industrial plant in the pollution control area requires consent
from SPCBs. SPCBs are also expected to test the air in air pollution control
areas, inspect pollution control equipment, and manufacturing processes.
➢ Severe air pollution due to stubble burning in Northern India at the onset of the
winter season is annual affair and efforts to reduce/ curtail it fail every year21 .
These are the peak production months for the apparel industry when the bulk
of the fabrics are under processing in the mills, A a closure of the dyeing and
printing mills around Diwali aggravates the already critical situation that the
industry faces with labour turnover and reduced productivity during these times
leading to delayed deliveries and creation of a poor image of India’s apparel
exports delivery performance . The GoI and Delhi Govt have failed to control
this problem.
➢ The head of the Bio2X programme at Fortum India, Faizur Rehman22 has
stated that "Agricultural waste which is burned in fields across states around
Delhi would be enough to replace over half of global cotton production by
building bio-refineries and textile fibre production plants to make efficient use
21
Pathi, K. and Chhabra, A., 2020. Stubble burning: Why it continues to smother north India. [online]
BBC News. Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-54930380> [Accessed 3 April
2021].
22
Ghosh, S., 2019. Stubble Burning: Fashion Can Douse This Fire. [online] Fibre2fashion.com.
Available at: <https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/8495/stubble-burning-fashion-can-douse-
this-fire> [Accessed 3 April 2021].
Page | 94
of biomass." Fortum Oyj is a Finnish state-owned energy company focusing on
the Nordic and Baltic countries, Poland, Russia and India. It operates power
plants, and sells waste services such as recycling, final disposal solutions and
soil remediation and environmental constructions services.
▪ The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 to control water
pollution by controlling discharge of pollutants into water bodies as per the
prescribed standards and lays down penalties for non-compliance. Further the
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act was enacted in 1977 to
provide for the levy and collection of a cess on water consumed by persons
operating and carrying on certain types of industrial activities.
▪ The Environment Protection Act, 1986 to protect and improve the overall
environment. Central Government is empowered to take measures necessary
to protect and improve the quality of environment by setting standards for
emissions and discharges of pollution in the atmosphere by any person carrying
on an industry or activity; regulating the location of industries; management of
hazardous wastes, and protection of public health and welfare. The Central
Government issues notifications periodically under this act for the protection of
ecologically-sensitive areas or issues guidelines for matters under the
Environment Act. Non-compliance or contravention of the Environment Act, or
of the rules or directions under the said Act is punishable with imprisonment up
to five years or with fine up to Rs 1,00,000, or with both.
▪ Environment Impact Assessment Notification 2006 To provide

environmental clearance to new development activities following environmental
impact assessment
▪ Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundary) Rules,

2008, that cites the guidelines for manufacture, storage and import of
hazardous chemicals and for management of hazardous wastes.
o E - Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 aim to reduce the

use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment by
specifying threshold for use of hazardous material and to channelize the
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e-waste generated in the country for environmentally sound recycling.
The rules are applicable to every producer, consumer or bulk consumer,
collection centre, dismantler and recycler of e-waste involved in the
manufacture, sale, purchase and processing of electrical and electronic
equipment or components.
o Batteries (Management & Handling) Rules, 2001 deal with the proper
and effective management and handling of lead acid batteries waste and
is applicable to all manufacturers, assemblers, re-conditioners,
importers, dealers, auctioneers, bulk consumers, consumers, involved
in manufacture, processing, sale, purchase and use of batteries or
components.
▪ The Electricity Act, 2003 Laws relating to generation, transmission,

distribution, trading and use of electricity, promotion of efficient and
environmentally benign policies.
➢ India has some wonderful laws and cover a lot of important issues, but the
implementation is poor. For the laws to be effective, implementation needs to
be stricter and non-compliance to be penalised.
5.3 INITIATIVES AND SCHEMES BY GOVT OF INDIA
The New Textile Policy is being drafted in consultations with various associations,
industry bodies, states and other stakeholders, representing sub-sectors like cotton,
silk, jute, handloom, handicrafts and power loom and seeks to position India as a fully
integrated, globally competitive manufacturing and exporting hub ( as of 15-Feb 2021).
GoI is implementing various policy initiatives and schemes for the PAN-India
development of the textile sector. These schemes and initiatives are aimed at
boosting the textiles sector by promoting technology upgradation, creation of
infrastructure, skill development and sectoral development while creating a conducive
environment and provide enabling conditions for textile manufacturing in the country.
Page | 96
1. Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (A-TUFS) is aimed at
enabling technology upgradation in textile and apparel sector by providing
capital investment subsidy across different segments of the textile value chain
by facilitating augmentation of investment, productivity, quality, employment,
exports and import substitution in textile industry. It is also expected to indirectly
promote investment in textile machinery manufacturing. This scheme was
launched in 2016 and is valid till 31-Mar-22. The scheme provides capital
investment subsidy of 15 per cent to garmenting and technical textile segments
with an upper limit of INR 30 crores ($ 3.9 Mn) and 10 per cent for weaving
brand new shuttle less looms, processing jute, silk and handloom with an upper
limit of INR 20 crores ($ 2.6 Mn). For a composite unit or for multiple segments,
if the eligible capital investment in respect of garmenting and technical textiles
category is more than 50 per cent of the eligible project cost, the rate would be
15 per cent (cap of INR 30 crore/$ 3.9Mn) and if it is below 50 per cent, the rate
would be 10 per cent (cap of INR 20 crore/ $ 2.6 Mn). The scheme has been
designed to mobilize new investment of about INR 95,000 crore ($ 12.5 Bn)
and employment for 3.5 Mn persons by the year 2022.
➢ The process of claim settlement has been an issue over the years and
has highlighted the need for policy clarifications to streamline the
procedure and remove ambiguities.
➢ Upgraded machines like digital printers for sampling purposes and bulk
production, Raschel warp knitting machines, fabric dyeing machines,
have been invested through this scheme.
➢ There used to be a component in the erst-while TUF (Textile

Upgradation Fund) Scheme for adopting to any technology (including
that of RE) for captive power utilization. The same scheme as adopted
by various textile units in Tirupur/Coimbatore belt. However, in 2000’s,
the scheme was amended, and was limited to a certain cap only. At this
Page | 97
juncture, there is no direct policy under ‘textile & apparel” for adopting
RE..
2. SAMARTH- The Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector (SCBTS)

The aim is to provide demand-driven, placement-oriented skilling program to
incentivize the efforts of the industry in creating jobs. The scheme would target
to train 1 Mn persons (0.9 Mn in the organized sector and 0.1 Mn in the
traditional sector) over a period of three years (2017-20) with an estimated
budget of INR 1,300 crore ($ 172 Mn) and another INR 6,000 crore ($ 794 Mn)
has been earmarked for the future.
→ The scheme has been impacted due to Covid and while online training has
been conducted, practical skill development and experience have been
impacted.
3. Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP)23 The scheme aims to facilitate
textile units to meet international and environmental standards by providing
support for common infrastructure and buildings within parks. Common
Infrastructure like compound wall, roads, drainage, water supply, electricity
supply including captive power plant, effluent treatment, telecommunication
lines, Buildings for common facilities like testing laboratory (including
equipment), design centre(including equipment), training centre(including
equipment), trade centre/display centre, warehousing facility/ raw material
depot, one packaging unit, crèche, canteen, workers’ hostel, offices of service
providers, labour rest and recreation facilities, marketing support system
(backward / forward linkages) etc, Factory buildings for production purposes,
Plant & machinery and Work space for textile units and workers’ hostel which
23
Fibre2fashion.com. 2021. Scheme of Integrated Textile Parks (SITP), India Textile Parks. [online]
Available at: <https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/6707/scheme-for-integrated-textile-
parks> [Accessed 21 April 2021].
Page | 98
may be made available on rental/hire purchase basis. The project cost covers
common infrastructure and buildings with financial support of 40 per cent of the
project cost subject to a cap of INR 40 crores ($ 5.2 Mn) for each park. There
are currently 59 parks under SITP, out of which, 19 are operational.
4. Scheme for Additional Grant for Apparel Manufacturing Units under SITP
(SAGAM) This scheme was launched on pilot basis, to provide a boost the
Apparel Manufacturing Industry and generate additional employment,
particularly for women. Under this scheme, the MOT provides additional grant
of Rs 10 cr to Integrated Textile Parks under SITP to set up new /additional
apparel units in the park. has been sanctioned to Palladam Hi Tech Weaving
Park, Tamil Nadu.
5. Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (MITRA)24 MoT has proposed
to develop seven parks as part of a plan to double the industry size to $300
billion by 2025-26 aimed to position India as a fully integrated, globally
competitive manufacturing and exporting hub. The parks are targeted to have
uninterrupted water and power supply, common utilities and research and
development labs. These parks are being conceived in the lines of those
existing in China, Vietnam, Ethiopia and will cover the entire textiles value
chain.
6. Scheme for Production and Employment Linked Support for Garmenting

Units (SPELSGU) MoT has notified this scheme under ATUFS to incentivize
production and employment generation in the garmenting sector. The additional
incentive of 10% will be provided to the garmenting units which would be
24
Suneja, K., 2021. 7 Mega textile parks on lines of China, Vietnam in the works. [online] The
Economic Times. Available at: <https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-
products/garments-/-textiles/7-mega-textile-parks-on-lines-of-china-vietnam-in-the-
works/articleshow/80202385.cms> [Accessed 7 April 2021].
Page | 99
availing the 15% Capital Investment Subsidy(CIS) under ATUFS for the
installation of benchmarked eligible machinery after a period of three years.
7. The GoI has announced production linked incentive (PLI)25 scheme for 10
key sectors, including textile products- man-made Fibre (MMF) segment and
technical textiles26
8. Anti-dumping Duty(ADD)27 on Purified Terephthalic Acid(PTA) and

Acrylic Fibre in an effort to enable their easy availability at competitive prices
to encourage the textile sector.
9. Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (ROSCTL) – ROSCTL was
implemented in March 2019 and was valid till March 2020 wherein rebates for
all embedded State and Central taxes/ levies (as recommended by Drawback
Committee) was given to provide support and enhance competitiveness of
apparel and made-ups exports.
→ This scheme should be reinstated in light of the new covid wave and the
interrupted business and subsequent losses that are expected by IAME.
10. Integrated Processing Development Scheme (IPDS) IPDS is being

implemented from October 2013 and was valid till March 2020 with a total
outlay of Rs.500 crore. The objective of the scheme is to enable the textile
25
Kumar, S., 2020. Textile industry thanks PM Modi for output linked incentive scheme. [online]
Hindustan Times. Available at: <https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/textile-industry-thanks-
pm-modi-for-output-linked-incentive-scheme/story-CxxITBc02fTBTbqw1J9UaN.html> [Accessed 3
April 2021].
26
Technical textiles are engineered products that are manufactured using natural as well as man-
made fibres such as Nomex, Kevlar, Spandex, Twaron that exhibit enhanced functional properties
such as higher tenacity, excellent insulation, improved thermal resistance etc. These products find
end-use application across multiple non-conventional textile industries such as healthcare,
construction, automobile, aerospace, sports, defence, agriculture.
27
Choudhary, S., 2020. Anti-dumping duty revoked on PTA import. [online] The Economic Times.
Available at: <https://m.economictimes.com/industry/cons-products/garments-/-textiles/anti-dumping-
duty-revoked-on-pta-import/articleshow/73862837.cms> [Accessed 3 April 2021].
Page | 100
processing sector in meeting environmental standards through appropriate
technology including marine, riverine and Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD). The
goal of the Integrated Processing Development Scheme is to develop 4 to 6
brownfield projects and 3 to 5 greenfield projects with modern facilities for the
benefit of textile clusters. For already existing textile processing clusters, the
scheme was available for the purposes of technology up-gradation and
enhancement of capacity.
→ This scheme should be extended to tier 1 and 2 suppliers of the IEMA to

minimize water pollution.
11. Schemes for the development of the Power loom Sector (PowerTex) In
order to address the long felt need of the powerloom sector and to strengthen
the effective implementation, the Powerloom Sector Development Schemes
(PSDS) have been modified by incorporating new components viz., Solar
Energy Scheme and Pradhan Mantri Credit Scheme for Powerloom Weavers,
Publicity and IT & rationalising/ upgrading the existing schemes viz., Group
Work shed Scheme, Common Facility Centre Scheme, Yarn bank Scheme, In-
MINISTRY OF TEXTILES 88 situ Upgradation Scheme for plain Powerlooms.
The scheme was valid from April 2017 to March 2020.
Page | 101
KEY LEARNINGS FROM INDUSTRY CHANGE MAKERS
Page | 102
6. KEY LEARNINGS FROM INDUSTRY CHANGE MAKERS
The traditional approach to business in apparel manufacturing has been an extractive

one with the focus on production of higher volumes such that more resources are used
thereby creating more waste.
Setting targets, putting in real work to meet them while securing alignment and buy-in
from key stakeholders across the organization is crucial to sustainability practices.
Managing
Director, AGM,
Fabric and Marketing
Apparel – IAME
manufacturer
International
Founder Expansion
Retail Manager
Consultant (South Asia)
Director Fashion For
Good
Divisional
Manager, Fabric
Production & technologist
technical- Retailer
Buying agency
Sustainability
and CSR Registrar
professional ATDC
Fabric and CMD Indian

Garment Renewable
technologist, Energy
Compliance - Development
Freelance Agency Ltd.
Fig 6.1 Profile of the interview respondents
Page | 103
The interview candidates were chosen from across the cross-section of the apparel
SC so that a 360 view of the implementation of Sustainable practices by IAME could
be achieved via a semi-structured format with a fixed set of questions which were
modified keeping in mind that the subject matter is complex and covers sensitive
areas.
➢ “Sustainability is super relevant currently in the fashion industry. The

biggest thing we are all suffering is with climate change. 2 degree
increase and the amount of carbon that has been released- not just
through fashion industry but all businesses, cumulatively it is so much
that we’re pretty much destroying our planet and the only way to reverse
this is to change the business as usual so that it does not damage the
environment” .
6.1 RAW MATERIALS
➢ “For us, it’s about natural fibres, so ultimately the product (at the end of
a long and useful life we hope!) can return to the supply chain in a
biodegradable form. It’s about where the produced goods go ultimately -
landfill or recycle, dump or upcycled new item? For the fashion industry
it’s one of the most important questions for now and the future”.
➢ “When it comes down to material choices, India is much further ahead on

cotton. When you talk about synthetics, I would never come to an Indian
supplier for say polyester product. It’s not something you do. I don't know
any different. It would be really good to know what the capabilities are
around other raw materials”.
➢ “We are now using cotton from responsible sources. We’re using GOTS,
EcoVero which is a viscose, trying to use recycled polyester as we need
the texture sometimes. We are repurposing the fiber because my
experience of India is to use cotton whether cotton modal, elastane for t-
shirts and things. The fiber base should be looked at - it doesn't have to
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be undyed untreated ecru t-shirt with bits of fiber that's not pure or very
pure that's heavy and rough. People don't want to wear it necessarily”.
The choice of raw materials that have a more positive impact on people and the
environment compared to conventional is a way to move towards a more sustainable
materials portfolio.
▪ Organic cotton, which is certified to organic agricultural standards and

prohibits the use of toxic chemicals or genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) which is the worldwide leading
textile processing standard for organic fibres, including ecological and social
criteria, backed up by independent certification of the entire textile supply
chain is one of the preferred cotton choices.
▪ Recycled cotton, which is made from either pre- or post-consumer waste.
▪ Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), which sets out to improve the sustainability of
mainstream cotton production.
▪ “Pure” 100% materials, for easier recycling- most of the garments are made
of blends which makes recycling difficult as the fibres need to be separated and
technologies that exist for these are very expensive.
▪ Mixed materials, for more durable fabrics—longevity in a garment ensures that

the consumer will use the product longer.
▪ Regenerated cellulosic fibres/ viscose - The forestry practices followed by

man-made cellulosic fibre (MMCF) producers are pivotal in influencing the
sustainability of industry by replanting more trees than they are harvesting, can
have a net positive environmental impact through increased carbon
sequestration e.g., Tencel, Modal , EcoVero. However, they come with the risk
of chemical emissions and waste that result from viscose production that can
cause considerable occupational health and safety risk to workers and
contaminate surrounding communities.
▪ Dead stock and leftover materials—Use of left-over excess fabrics that are
already produced and sit on a shelf in a warehouse is another best practise.
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➢ “Cotton is much further along than other fibres. So, we won’t use
conventional cotton anymore. Supporting BCI is considered as minimum
standard.”
6.2 PROCESSING
The pressure from overseas clients due to the more stringent norms on chemical
safety in the West ensures restriction on use of substances that could be
hazardous for human health such as : formaldehyde, prohibited azo dyes and legally
regulated arylamines, phenols, Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, Chromium, Chromium(VI),
Nickel, other metals, phthalates, flame retardants, pesticides, short chain chlorinated
paraffins, perfluoroorganic compounds (PFCs), dimethyl fumarate, organotin
compounds, allergenic dyes, N-nitrosamines, asbestos, polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorinated compounds and volatile organic compounds
(VOCs).
Compliance to REACH and EU regulations are some other examples of this. ‘Clear
to wear’ a standard set by the INDITEX group sets limits to the use of one substance
not contemplated by the legislation in effect: isocyanates.
➢ GOTS certification- it is very detailed and thorough and requires Zero

Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC)- just to achieve that they
(IAME) need to change their entire chemical portfolio. They have to
change their way of working, their supply chain as in the chemical
suppliers (as listed on this platform).
Denims are responsible for wasting tons of water and several greenhouse gas
emissions. Denim companies have developed new methods of denim processing
which are economic and ecological. Some of them are laser technology, mechanical
abrasion, ozone fading, waterjet fading, tinting technique, etc.
All these techniques use less water and energy and are environment friendly. Laser
wash is an exceptional method which can create extraordinary jeans and reduce the
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environmental impact of this industry. In laser wash, there is no use of water, stones
or sand to wash the jeans.
Fig 6.2 Laser wash at a denim processing unit for applying finishes with minimal water usage
Adoption of practices like Zero-Liquid Discharge (ZLD) effluent treatment system

helps with 90 percent water recovery and minimizes waste.
Fig 6.3 ZLD effluent treatment system
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➢ I have audited the 40 main spinning and fabric mills in India, they are still
working like the domestic sector. They had never been audited before, its
only recently that brands have started auditing.
6.3 ECO-LABELS AND CERTIFICATIONS
“Ultimately people are going to have to look at certifications and ways to meet the
standards. I think that’s going to become quite key and that needs to be done more,
both by IAME and by retailers as well”.
➢ “BCI has been there for ages and even now, so many people don’t
understand it, it’s not just about what’s physically in your product but about
driving change, it’s about the farmers, the people and things like that that
need to be looked at more”.
An ecolabel serves as an acknowledgement that the certified product is both more

sustainable and more environmentally friendly than other products of comparable
function. The development of ecolabels stems from efforts by businesses, private
organizations, and governments to
▪ inform consumers about the environmental impact of their consumption

patterns
▪ encourages the consumption of more environmentally friendly products
▪ encourages producers to improve the environmental sustainability of their

products and services.
Companies, firms, and organizations label their products or services not only to share
information about the quality and content of their products but also as a marketing tool
that encourages consumer trust and indicates positive production methods, good
practices, and better fabric choices which helps to differentiate similar products.
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Currently, there are three main types of ecolabels: Type I, Type II and Type III. They
are as follows:
Type I
This is the “classic” that ecolabel evaluates the environmental quality of a product
compared with other products of comparable function. This type of ecolabel is
designed to be consumer-friendly and informative and is based on the fulfilment of a
set of criteria. The criteria and categories are defined by independent experts, e.g.,
academic researchers, but also include input from interest groups and technical
experts
Type I is considered the so-called gold standard for consumer education because
there is an independent certifying body. Common examples include the EU
Ecolabel, the Blauer Engel, Forest Stewardship Council, and Fair Trade.
Type II
Claims by manufacturers, importers, retailers, or distributors about environmental

characteristics of a product or service, e.g., ‘dolphin safe’. This type of ecolabel is self-
declared and focuses on a particular quality of a product, e.g., compostable.
Type III
Voluntary declarations of the sustainability of a product or service’s entire life cycle.

This type of ecolabel may or may not be third-party certified, is often B2B in nature
and does not certify any specific quality of a product/service. It facilitates the drawing
of independent conclusions about the sustainability of a product/service.
Application for certification is done once the definition of the criteria for certification
has been defined. Evidence substantiating compliance with the certification criteria
needs to be submitted. Evaluations may include site inspections, sampling, and/or
laboratory testing. If the criteria are met, manufacturers or providers are permitted to
use the label for their product or service for a given period of time after which they
must reapply.
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Table 6.1 List of eco-labels and certifications
STANDARD SYMBOL DESCRIPTION
Organic Content Voluntary standard that sets requirements for third-party

Standard(OCS) certification of certified organic input and chain of custody. The
goal of the OCS is to increase organic agriculture production.
Global Recycled Voluntary standard that sets requirements for third-party

Standard(GRS) certification of recycled input and chain of custody. The goal of
the standard is to increase the use of recycled materials. The
GRS includes additional criteria for social and environmental
processing requirements and chemical restrictions.
Recycled Claim International, voluntary standard that sets requirements for

Standard(RCS) third-party certification of recycled input and chain of custody.
The goal of the standard is to increase the use of recycled
materials.
Responsible Wool Voluntary standard that addresses the welfare of sheep and the
Standard(RWS) land they graze on. Recognizes the best practices of farmers;
ensuring that wool comes from farms that have a progressive
approach to managing their land, practice holistic respect for
animal welfare of the sheep and respect the Five Freedoms of
animal welfare.
Responsible Voluntary standard that addresses the welfare of goats and the
Mohair land they graze on. Recognizes the best practices of farmers;
Standard(RMS) ensuring that mohair comes from farms that have a progressive
approach to managing their land, practice holistic respect for
animal welfare of the goats and respect the Five Freedoms of
animal welfare.
Content Claim The Content Claim Standard is the foundation of all Textile
Standard (CCS) Exchange standards. It is a chain of custody standard that
provides companies with a tool to verify that one or more specific
input materials are in a final product.
Oeko-Tex The standard indicates that the textile product is free of certain
groups of harmful substances, ensuring that all certified
products are harmless to health. The certification standards fall
into three levels: 100, 1000 and 1000 plus as the highest and
indicates that everything from fabric, threads, interlinings, hook-
and-loop closures, hooks etc. have met the criteria.
The Better Cotton Promotes a comprehensive set of production principles and

Initiative (BCI) criteria for growing cotton in a more sustainable manner:
socially, environmentally and economically. BCI currently has a
system in place to trace Better Cotton from the farm to the gin.
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STANDARD SYMBOL DESCRIPTION
The Bluesign® Indicates all the input streams from raw materials to chemical
components and resources used are assessed on their
ecological impact. Chemicals are assigned to one of three
categories: blue – safe to use; gray – special handling required;
and black – forbidden. The bluesign® system helps factories
properly manage gray chemicals and replace black chemicals
with safer alternatives.
It is essentially a label that helps identify fabric and apparel
producers that have analysed their manufacturing chain and are
constantly investing in research and development in an active
effort to reduce their ecological footprint.
The Fair trade The symbol indicates that the product has met certain social,
environmental and economic criteria that support the
sustainable development of small-scale producers and
agricultural workers in the poorest countries in the world. The
Fair Trade organization essentially gives consumers the
opportunity to help reduce poverty and instigate change by
purchasing Fair Trade cotton and several certified food items.
The Ethical ETI adheres to nine base code provision which include
Trading Initiative “employment is freely chosen, freedom of association and the
(ETI) right to collective bargaining are respected, working conditions
are safe and hygienic, child labour shall not be used, living
wages are paid, working hours are not excessive, no
discrimination is practiced, regular employment is provided, and
no harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed.
Der Blauer Engel The Blue Angel is the ecolabel of the federal government of
Germany since 1978. The Blue Angel sets high standards for
environmentally friendly product design.
EU Ecolabel The EU Ecolabel is a voluntary scheme, which means that

producers, importers and retailers can choose to apply for the
label for their products. fabrics have strong environmental
impacts when they are dyed, printed and bleached. So, experts
have designed the criteria for textiles in order to make sure harm
at the manufacturing stage is reduced as much as possible.
Forest FSC confirms that the forest is being managed in a way that
Stewardship preserves biological diversity and benefits the lives of local
Council (FSC) people and workers, while ensuring it sustains economic
viability. FSC certified shows compliance with the highest social
and environmental standards on the market.
There are various eco-labels produced and used every day for textiles and clothing
products . The Ecolabel Index is the largest global directory of ecolabels, currently
tracking 456 eco-labels in 199 countries and 25 industry sectors
(http://www.ecolabelindex.com, accessed on 15 Feb 2021).
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Textile Exchange also develops and manages a suite of standards that provide the
industry with a way to verify sustainability claims from the raw material to the final
product.
➢ “BCI are now looking at what work they can do to introduce traceability-
they don’t have any element of traceability and so they are looking at
building this .. there are recognizing the need to build that in and there are
projects underway to make BCI work differently so it can be part of a
transparent SC”.
➢ “Blue sign-- starting to come up a lot more from chemical point of view and
we are looking at accepting this with Oekotex certification.. A lot of factories
are getting their fabrics accredited blue sign. But it just hasn't made the
same breakthrough and is used more by Sweden and Norway.”
➢ “SEDEX has been made universal, common language”
As reiterated by the respondents
➢ “Compliance has nothing to do with individuals, it is set norms like govt policy.
Certain criteria that we have to respect and follow those requirement".
For social compliance there is an article that requires security, protection, adulteration,
child labour, min wages, rights of people, salary rights.-everyone has to follow without
exceptions. SEDEX, WRAP all have the same rules and regulations w minor changes
here and there, but the main criteria and check points are the same - construction,
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pay slip, min wages, bilingual sign boards, provide medical facilities, safety, prevent
race and gender discrimination.
So, the state laws are being followed. They may be slight variations in terms of
minimum age to work, minimum salary scale and timings from state to state but human
rights and other points are the same.
➢ “When we audit for social compliances-- it’s not exactly the same issue at
every factory, each has a different set of issues due to different zones,
states that they are located in. Human rights issues-- we don’t find this as
such since the awareness is well there on human rights, salaries, these
things have been resolved quite well. What we find are minor problems like
construction, doors opening inwards, building licenses etc.. which are very
genuine as state govt take their own time to clear things, so things linger.
Even these are now being taken care of with rising awareness and
application of a bit of common sense”.
➢ “Child labour you don’t see this in in the factories, compliance systems
were implemented long back. These issues do not exist in the registered,
recognized ftries, but maybe you might have heard of these issues in
factories that are in outskirts of villages, mostly unrecognized ftries”.
➢ When we registered for GOTS through “Control Union” the initial audit
process took about a month or so in which we had to review all our social,
environmental and other audits and ensure all issues mentioned in the CAP
were rectified. Samples were then taken for testing; so, it took us 6 weeks
to get the certification. But the initial few days when we used the portal, it
wasn’t very easy to understand and navigate. While training is provided at
their office, the number of participants are so high that it isn’t very clear and
effective. As a factory. I am already paying INR 2 Lakhs for the certification.
An individual training program should be provided with this. Instead, the
agency charges an additional INR 7,500 for every training session.
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6.5 SSCM PRACTICES
The feedback on Environmental management practices (EMP), Operations practices

(OP) and Supply chain integration(SCI) was a positive one.
➢ “I would say yes, IAME are moving towards technology though

technology is not one in all as far as Sustainability is concerned. But
factories are bringing in good software and technology, even on the
production front.” With compliance being mandatory, water treatment
plants, wastage of diesel, the utilisation of fracked electricity, control and
tracking of wastages is all happening. These are all positive steps . you
can see implementation of systems for good maintenance and updating
of machinery, inventory control, minimising electricity wastages and
maximising fabric utilisation using technology (e.g., to get right
consumptions like CADS, etc).
6.6 ALTERNATE ENERGY SOURCES
When it comes to energy resources, there is always the question of sustainability.

Earth’s supply of non-renewable resources continues to dwindle. Non-renewable, or
“dirty,” energy includes fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal. Converting to renewable
energy will not only better sustain the world’s rapidly growing population, but it will also
provide a cleaner, healthier environment for the generations to come. Many non-
renewable energy sources can endanger the environment or human health. For
example, oil drilling might require strip-mining, the technology associated
with fracking can cause earthquakes and water pollution, and coal power plants foul
the air, and all these activities contribute to global warming.
It is important that resources provide enough energy to meet our needs while
considering how they can be used long term. Renewable resources are an energy
source that cannot be depleted and are able to supply a continuous source of clean
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energy (Society, 2019) meaning less pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, which
contribute to climate change.
Renewable energy resources come with the challenge of less reliability than non-
renewable energy, with seasonal or even daily changes in the amount produced.
Renewable sources include biomass energy (e.g., ethanol), solar power, wind energy,
hydropower and geothermal power.
India is the world's fifth-largest energy economy; ranked third on Renewable Energy
(RE).
➢ SDG goals are very broad. As far as India is concerned, the country has already
fixed a broad target of reducing the GHG emissions by 30% and generating
40% of its energy from RE . In the short run, the target is fixed for putting 175
GW of RE capacity by 2022, of which near to 100 GW has been commissioned
and more than 50 GW are under various stages of construction. On a medium-
term basis, GoI has declared 450 GW of installation from RE by 203028. The
government is totally committed to enable its Paris Agreement commitments
and companies are taking many efforts to ramp up capacity. India ranks second
in BNEF climate scope report which evaluates investment conditions for clean
energy in emerging economies across 108 countries.
Solar energy-
According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, US “more energy from the
sun falls on the earth in one hour than is used by everyone in the world in one year.”
Photovoltaic cells are used to trap radiation from the sun and convert this solar energy
into electricity. Individually, these cells only generate enough energy to power a
28
https://www.financialexpress.com/. 2021. Govt committed to promote renewable energy, especially
in MSME sector, says Nitin Gadkari. [online] Available at:
<https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/sme/govt-committed-to-promote-renewable-energy-
especially-in-msme-sector-says-nitin-gadkari/2211916/> [Accessed 13 March 2021].
Page | 115
calculator, but when combined to create solar panels or even larger arrays, they
provide much more electricity.
➢ The solar industry in India has received considerable support from the GoI
during the pandemic. Policy initiatives like- supporting force majeure, reducing
repo rate, extending ALMM deadline, making solar plant O&M an essential
service, removing tariff caps for solar tenders, PLI scheme amongst others
clearly indicate Government of India’s intent toward supporting solar growth.
➢ In other parts of the country, IAME are spread across huge land, fields, they
have play to install solar panels. The fact that factories get some rebate/ power
credits has helped spur this. In NCR, the size of factories are so small and roof
top is tiny, space is a premium. IAME use space for compliance requirements,
they make canteens for workers / laundry . So, no space for solar panels and
even if a few have installed, the scale is too small to cater to their total power
consumption. Roof-top solar has got its challenges as the project size is very
small, and it is seen that it is the state government policies that drives this sector
viz. Gujarat is the leader in the same.
➢ The plan has not worked in NCR while it is working in other places, like
Ludhiana, Bhatinda, Baddi, Tirupur, Coimbatore, Bangalore, etc where
buildings are single story. Initial investment in these mills/factories was huge
but they later started receiving good results and they are saving a lot on power
bills.
➢ NCR being a city-state, has limited options for adopting RE. These are roof-top
solar, waste to energy projects, CBG projects only. The same is under
implementation in the city. However, options like DMRC (drawing electricity
from MP), would come up more & more in the future.
Biomass-
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Biomass refers to organic material from plants or animals. This includes wood,
sewage, and ethanol (which comes from corn or other plants). Biomass can be used
as a source of energy because this organic material has absorbed energy from the
Sun. This energy is, in turn, released as heat energy when burned.
▪ Apparel factories are embracing Solar and Biomass energy.
Fig 6.4 Power

station fuelled by
local Biomass
➢ CBG (Compressed bio-gas) & Bio-ethanol are sectors that are pushed together
with MoPNG & MNRE. MoPNG, has mandated blending of bio-ethanol to the
Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs); while at the same time is interested to meet
the deficit in the natural gas segment by procurement from CBG. MNRE for the
CBG section gives a capital subsidy. MNRE has also extended capital subsidy
for Waste 2 Energy projects that are coming in various cities of India.
Wind energy-
Wind energy generates electricity by turning wind turbines. The wind pushes the
turbine’s blades, and a generator converts this mechanical energy into electricity. This
electricity can supply power to homes and other buildings, and it can even be stored
in the power grid.
➢ State policies play a huge role in the implementation of SP. In the Tirupur
Coimbatore region, textile mills have huge wind energy set ups as the local
policies enable the same. This has made the mills in this region extremely
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competitive in their pricing as their cost of power comes to Rs 1/unit vis a vis
the rest of the country where it works out to Rs 7/ unit.
Fig 6.5 Power

generated by
wind turbines
➢ Solar & Wind energy today represents more than 85% of total RE mix, is
matured and has become scalable. By 2030, it is going to hold the lion’s share.
The policy governing this section is mostly about procurement methods (viz.
SECI/ NTPC/ NHPC/ SJVNL – aggregators), and push towards Atma-Nirbhar
(Make In India). The central procurement (viz. reverse auction) has led to
energy prices, which are probably the lowest in the entire world. This is the
primary reason that the Government of India , is pushing the entire Green
Hydrogen Economy in India, and is going to play a pivotal role in the future.
The major policy set-up driving this section is Section 86(1)e of the Electricity
Act, 2003, that mandates certain percentage procurement by all DISCOMS
from RE sources.
➢ The GoI’s primary role for pushing wind/solar is in terms of central procurement
through fair & transparent reverse auctions; along with the waiver of payment
towards transmission charges (if the electricity is moving from state to other).
In this regard, various projects that are coming up across India are in a position
to sell the electricity either to DISCOM or any other bulk consumer of electricity.
DMRC in Delhi has been procuring electricity from a solar project that has been
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installed in Rewa, MP. The same set-up was initially practiced in the state of
TN, where in the textile units put wind-mills projects to adjust the electricity
consumed at their end, by paying a nominal network charges. Since, both wind
& solar does not require any fuel, the consumes in the option are able to freeze
their energy costs over a long-term basis, thereby making them competitive in
the market. The said policy framework is still there till June 2023.
Geothermal energy-
This comes from the heat generated deep within the Earth’s core. Geothermal
reservoirs can be found at tectonic plate boundaries near volcanic activity or deep
underground. Geothermal energy can be harnessed by drilling wells to pump hot water
or steam to a power plant. This energy is then used for heating and electricity.
Some of the other best practices related to energy that are:
▪ Continuous replacement of older-generation machines with more energy-

efficient designs.
▪ Installation of energy-efficient lighting systems across the factory layout
Technologies which are yet to achieve Scale : Small hydro & Bio-energy
These have challenges in terms of scalability, and in turn its commercial

attractiveness. Hydro energy project faces challenges in getting permits &
implementation, whilst bio-energy is based on informal supply chain of the feed-stock.
Between the two, bio-energy is definitely more promising once the supply-chain
linkages are created in the country. GoI, is now trying to push hydro sector by
announcing HPO (Hydro Purchase Obligation), under Section 86(1)e of EA 2003, as
the current RPO regime is in favour of wind/solar because of their competitiveness in
cost of generation.
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There are four key barriers for SC that are most relevant to implementation of SP:
1. Knowledge—There isn't enough knowledge, it is still being built as

sustainability is a new field.
2. Capability and capacity- There is no knowledge of vertical of sustainability

and how the new industry should look like. There isn't enough capability within
the manufacturer’s team to work with new technology and adopting the
sustainable way of thinking. Manufacturers needs to create these capabilities
within their teams which will be focused on this industry transformation.
3. Capital- Apparel industry is a cutthroat space, brands work on higher profit

margins, manufacturers on lower margins. In most cases, capital is not
available inhouse to even adopt technology, even if the knowledge and capacity
were there to identify and select the technology for the transformation of the
industry. Over the last century there wasn't enough development in the fashion
industry and so it never became an attractive industry for venture capital or
private equity to invest in. Only in last few years, investment in fashion industry
is happening but at a start-up level. But there aren’t enough tech and tools to
raise fund from equity side. On debt side -it’s very high very expensive from
banks and outside institutions. That is why ‘Fashion For Good’ started FUND
FOR MANUFACTURERS- it is more of a debt fund but at very low cost so there
is enough incentive to adopt new technology.
4. Policy—Policies are stronger in west and IAME play a reactive role. If there
was more policy support at regional level, they will probably play a more active
role in creating sustainability.
➢ “It’s not as though the brand is saying I’ll invest with my main supplier
out of Asia as they may not have one but multiple suppliers, at times
hundreds.” Thus, there is a sense of lack of continuity and indecision at
the brand’s end that also prevents IAME from investing heavily in these
practices.
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In addition to the above, the other barriers that came to light are:
▪ Due to traditional mindsets, suppliers' interests are not aligned with

sustainability practices
▪ Lack of global environmental sustainability standards
▪ Short term goals of IAME (more profit oriented) and long-term strategic goals
(sustainability) are misaligned
▪ Suppliers view green initiative as an additional burden/cost
▪ Challenges in changing user behaviours and comfort levels. There is fear and
lack of awareness- on how to get the material e.g. A recycle bag is more
expensive, percentage margin will always be weighed. People will always try
and cut corners.
▪ High initial investment cost to both factory and their suppliers. “Supply chain
are going that's lots of investment-- I don't know what orders are coming
through, had lost of orders cancelled , and things like that”.
▪ Matrix misalignment and disruption.
▪ IAME feel that their competition is operating fine without SP implementation.
▪ Companies need to train and reward suppliers – “we've got individuals that
recognize that but that's not how businesses run across the SC, they do
want incentives, as a retailer we often do something sustainable as we
can then talk about it for perception of us as a brand.”
▪ Drop in energy /commodity prices reduces green priority. Also, in terms of cost
of raw materials in general.
▪ Corporate social responsibility suggests firms are willing to go beyond simple

compliance. Willing to consider public consequences of organizational actions
but industries fail to adopt it.
➢ Availability of raw materials- “I personally found it frustrating that we had

to move a large chunk of products that we would normally do as organic
and move it to BCI which is because of increase CP and lower availability..
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That's really frustrating.. we should be doing more organic.. but it’s not
available and we can’t make it so its unaffordable. So that's shown how
fragile this ecosystem. We’ve experienced the same thing w Lenzing
fibres. This caught us completely off guard. When confirming orders, we
were told we can’t tell you if we will be using Ecovera. It makes it really
hard as an industry and it doesn’t help that it has happened at the same
time as cotton. Normally you have difficulty with one raw material.”
➢ Traceability—“Ideally we would like to link up the retailer product in store

to raw material. So that’s something we have started to work on, but I’ve
noticed from doing it on viscose trial with SEGURA29 who are primarily
are a packaging system. Trialling to see how to map out the viscose
supply chain. So, each step was a source for checks- where ordered,
check if ordered, where they got the raw material from- factory, mill, yarn
supplier and it was hard.. it sounds straight forward but it hasn't been so
actually as we have had a lot of resistance on any one information. That’s
where there needs to be a culture shift in traceability”.
The current raw material scarcity on cotton and viscose sustainable fibres is an
indication that more retailers are moving to sustainability. We are noticing a lot more
retailer’s commitments for 2025 and 2030.
➢ “While that is a great step forward for the industry, it’s scary as well. 2025 isn’t
actually 2025 but we actually need to be there by 2023 . So, while the ambition
is laudable, but there a massive GAP between what retailers are now saying,
what's happening with the raw materials and what's happening in the middle as
not all is aligned. There are misconceptions on what can be done both on the
29
Systems, S., 2021. Segura | The World's Leading Platform for Next Generation Transparency.
[online] Segura.co.uk. Available at: <https://www.segura.co.uk/> [Accessed 8 March 2021].
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data and systems front because there's no clear way of managing it. Everyone
has a different system of managing and the way of linking up their data”.
➢ “ Buyer push is the driver for change. I think covid has been a big driver
to change. A lot of people now recognize that maybe that path to value
proposition is by having that extra value proposition for the buyers as
well. I would say that with the pandemic situation, these the challenges
have become huge drivers for people to rethink their business and try and
transform it to have the extra edge”.
When it comes to factories, most of the times, SP are brand driven. IAME don't go on
their own and invest in Oekotex, GOTS, BIO, MADE IN GREEN. It’s either for the
brand with whom they have been working for several years or a new brand that they
are onboarding. Brand may state a requirement for a certification. When IAME
start going through the process, they may think that these are too process-intrinsic
and try to manage without. However, on customer’s insistence, especially if multiple
customers, there is no choice. Business is the most important motivating factor as this
industry already has a lot of competition.
➢ “Pratibha Syntex, Shahi, Aditya Birla are pioneers in Sustainability in

India, and they are going way beyond and trying new things because they
are at a position, they know they will attract more business and
customers”’.
Other drivers for Sustainability are:
▪ Top management initiatives for adoption of green strategies
▪ Their competitors have adopted green
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▪ Offering sustainable product/service solutions is considered a legitimate
competitive differentiator
➢ There are many factors that drive sustainability, but it must come from the top.
Even for a small business you may have people who personally believe in
sustainability but if it’s not driven by the CEO/ top boss, practices will not get
rolled out.
The below documented views varied based on experiences of the various

interviewees.
➢ It varies enormously - from “don’t care, price is the driver”, to “we must embrace
this, as the consumer is demanding it”. It is fraught with difficulty as there are
so many other challenges for the industry in India, in terms of fair wages,
working conditions etc. It can feel like “green-washing30”.
➢ “India has the benefit of having some of the larger players e.g., for
viscose- BIRLA, Arvind most known denim manufacturing, Welspun one
of the largest home textile manufacturers in the world, Shahi exports-
denim, cotton. These are names that bigger brands want to work with.
Having larger players who have been exporting for a really long time are
playing in India's favour as these are the ones that are getting a deep dive
with the brands on what is next and what’s required. If I am a brand like
C&A or Tommy and if I look at who is my proactive manufacturer to test
new material, new technology, I’ll probably pick on Shahi and Arvind, as
30
Greenwashing, also called "green sheen", is a form of marketing spin in which green PR and green
marketing are deceptively used to persuade the public that an organization's products, aims and
policies are environmentally friendly.
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they are larger manufacturers with capacity but also are more proactive
as they are engaged a lot more on topics like sustainability. So, I think
India wins. If you look at Bangladesh market, it’s very fragmented market-
thousands of players, no exceptional large players but multiple medium
sized players. While a lot of brands have Bangladesh as a key
manufacturing area, there isn’t as much innovation happening and this is
by experience with 30-40 manufacturers”.
➢ So, I think the awareness need broadening. Companies are going into India but
maybe in different aspects of the industry. Maybe it’s better in the bigger cities
but a lot of people are outside the bigger cities where the IAME bases are. So,
within that unit they may have sustainability, water filtration processes, dyeing
processes, use correct dyestuffs and protection for workers. But how do they
get rid of the packaging of these goods. They may be using recycled polybags,
using cardboard, removal of strappings from carton boxes and plastic from
outside.
➢ But how does the factory get rid of their own waste from the waste from rolls of
fabric, from how is the packaging delivered, how are the painting tins disposed,
are the tins cleaned out and recycled.. all aspects whether tier 1, 2 or 3.Within
that chain, it affects everybody not just the factories making it, the embroiderers,
how do they get the packaging materials, left over threads from machines that
they use. It’s a huge industry that’s developing and the awareness of it all of
customers that are leading this as well. India has seen a lot of development on
the countryside e.g., Coimbatore. 20 years ago, it was a very different place-
the infrastructure, roads, etc Sustainability will take time, it’s developing on an
onward journey.
➢ “Definitely size matters, the smaller you are the more limited your
capacity, manpower and resources. We always talk of Aditya Birla, Shahi
and Pratibha. Look at the scale they work at. Once you hit a certain
turnover or have a market capture, you have the money & the resources.
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These things involve so much investment in RND and to do this, you need
budget for something that may not generate immediate profit. Small
factories normally have one individual who is responsible for HR,
sustainability, quality and dealing with brands. One person cannot be a
master of all. These things are technical and smaller IAME don’t have
resources to hire specialised manpower and they need handholding from
brands. They may be willing to hire a person but need help to train and
also need guaranteed business. They might then be able to approach
other brands. The leverage is always with bigger factories”.
➢ When you visit India, I think it’s a shock for westerners still to see how much
rubbish, garbage and litter, maybe not so much in recent years but you still see
it where there’s populous of people who are not aware of how they are
damaging their own environment.
➢ “The next generation has a different mindset as they have studied abroad/
interact with clients and they do care about these things and try and
implement. Some may be passionate about carbon footprint while others
about solar energy, water consumption if they make denim, water
conservation. All are trying to work towards sustainability”.
➢ There is a need for transparency on wages and working conditions in mills and
factories. Ignorance is not an excuse for retailers, and they are becoming
increasingly aware of this - the consumer will drive this process.
➢ “People have started looking at GHG from scope 1 point of view.. Not sure if
anyone is doing full carbon tracing... Not enough tech for that.. there are a
few tracking platforms that have come up for factory screening”.
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RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Page | 127
7. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
➢ Geographical Spread :
Delhi NCR region
Tirupur
Since the focus of the factories in North India is quite different from those in the south,
the author also reached out to some factories in Tirupur. 2 factories in Jaipur and 1
factory based in Mumbai also agreed to share their data for the purposes of this
research which gave wider perspective to the study.
➢ Profile of respondents:
The target segment for the questionnaire was identified as the owners/ senior
managers in the IAME factories since they are the decision makers and would be privy
to the practices followed by the factory. The final snapshot of the respondents is as
below:
NCR- 39
Tirupur- 7
Jaipur-2
Mumbai-1
▪ Total respondents : 48
▪ Total respondents considered for the Study :
Delhi NCR: 362
Tirupur: 353
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The target segment for the interviews were senior professionals from various
segments of the apparel industry both within the country and outside for a 360 degree
overview.
▪ Total respondents : 14
With the goal to establish a generalized set of sustainability barriers in SSCM , an

extensive review of the literature was done to understand the common barriers
identified by different researchers through qualitative studies. For example, Moktadir
et al. (2018) studied the barriers in the context of Bangladesh’s leather industry. Al
Zaabi et al. (2013) examined barriers in the fastener manufacturing sector. Oelze
(2017) researched textile firms, but those were situated in developed countries like
Germany, the USA, Canada, etc. Mangla, Govindan and Luthra (2017) found barriers
through literature review, and their findings were based on an Indian ancillary auto
manufacturing firm.
Thus, several studies were reviewed for this purpose. As already mentioned in the
literature review section that most of the studies highlighted some key common
barriers which chiefly become a hindrance to the adoption of SSCM practices in
different industries. Although a good number of studies have been done in this regard,
yet most of these are with the limitation of generalizability because their findings are
related to a specific industry or developed countries. The most commonly identified
barriers in literature were found in a very good Delphi study of Giunipero et al. (2012)
on US-based firms. There was found a dearth of such research work in the context of
the Indian Apparel exports manufacturing sector.
Das (2017) has attempted to conceptualize, develop and validate a scale for the
purpose of measuring Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) practices
adopted by an organization and also evaluating its performance on different
dimensions of SSCM by examining the overall level of SSCM practices amongst
manufacturing and processing companies in India and China. The content of SSCM
practices and SSCM performance simultaneously incorporate both environmental and
social aspects along with the economic aspect in today’s supply chain. This formed
the base line of the questionnaire to study the IAME to determine the following:
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SSCM practices
• Environmental management practices (EMP)
▪ Operations practices (OP)
▪ Supply chain integration(SCI)
▪ Socially inclusive practices for employees (SPE)
▪ Socially inclusive practices for community (SPC)
SSCM performance
▪ Competitiveness (CP)
▪ Environmental performance (EPR)
▪ Operations performance (OPR)
▪ Employee-centred social performance (ESP)
▪ Community-centred social performance (CSP)
The sample was questioned on the status of their accreditation with respect to
Environmental systems, Social standards, Quality management and Safety standards.
The industry still shows a leaning towards implementation of quality standards
implementation while the environmental and safety standards continue to take a back
seat.
Social compliance requirements have been largely driven by the customer and the
country with which the business is being conducted. They have become mandatory in
the past decade in order to conduct business with international clients. As evidenced
in the survey,14.6% IAME were SEDEX approved (popular with European and UK
brands) while 8.33% had WRAP certification (a preferred compliance by US brands).
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Most of these compliance audits have similar benchmarks for checks and balances.
As a result, IAME have one or sometimes multiple compliances based on their
customer requirement.
➢ A universal norm would go a long way in reducing the costs of these multiple
compliances.
Environmental protection Standards-
Only 15% of the IAME had implemented ISO140001, 2% had undertaken the Think
Green Initiative and another 2% had implemented the HIGGS index. The other
companies followed the Indian local laws.
It can be deduced that EMS are lacking in most factories and need to be looked into
on priority in line with the changing focus of the international clients to Sustainability.
Safety Standards-
Only 15% of the IAME had implemented OHSAS18001 and most IAME did not have
requests from their clients for this standard and hence were following the Indian laws
on the same.
7.2 SOCIALLY INCLUSIVE PRACTICES FOR EMPLOYEES (SPE)
The survey highlighted that the IAME tend to implement the social practices that are
driven by the regulatory authorities and Labour laws of the land. Practices like Gratuity
and annual bonuses that are not mandatory were followed by only 2% and 4% of the
IAME, respectively.
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7.3 SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS OFFER OF THE IAME
A sustainable materials portfolio aligns with the SDG 12 Responsible Production &
Consumption along with SDG 17 Partnership for goals and acts as a gateway to many
of the other SDGs, such as no poverty, sustainable agriculture/zero hunger, land use,
life under water and industry innovation.
Investment in sustainability programs, innovation and responsible sourcing has

beneficial outcomes for people and planet: SDG 1 no poverty, SDG 2 zero hunger
(and sustainable agriculture), SDG 9 industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 14
life under water, and SDG 15 life on land. There is potential for positive impacts like
SDG 6 clean water, SDG 7 clean energy (including the transition to renewables), and
SDG 13 climate action through improved practices and innovations on the land and in
the mills.
Fig 7.1 Identification of risk and interconnectedness in an apparel manufacturer’s value chain
Page | 132
Raw materials which are used as feedstock for the production of fibre, yarns and
fabric are the first step in the textiles and apparel supply chain. More than half of the
environmental footprint of the textile and apparel industry is created at this stage.
The IAME’s move towards a sustainable material offer has mostly been driven by their
customers which explains why only 4% did not have any sustainable offers in place.
There is a pre-dominance of Cotton of as a material offer by the Indian industry.
Fig 7.2 Organic cotton production sources worldwide (Organic Cotton Market Report 2020, 2020)
97 percent of global production of organic cotton stems from the above seven
countries out of 19 countries that grew organic cotton in 2018/19. (Organic Cotton
Market Report 2020, 2020).
India added to global organic cotton growth this year by 37,138 MT thereby becoming
the biggest contributor with Turkey, Tajikistan, China and Uganda as significant
contributors as well.
The biggest threat related to climate change and organic farming is the timing of the
sowing season. Cotton is typically sown in early June; however, the monsoon season
has become more unpredictable impacting production cycle planning. Nature and
farmers are working in partnership as a result of which the farmers’ entire livelihood is
dependent on managing their crops in conjunction with the weather. Most organic
cotton is rainfed and the increasing natural disaster co8nditions are a direct threat.
Organic cotton production is a proof of concept for restorative and regenerative

practices for agriculture by re-building soil health, water cycles, protecting biodiversity
both above and below soil across the working lands.
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Fig 7.3 How organic farming system works (aboutorganiccotton-Textile Exchange, n.d.)
➢ The IAME would do well to further capitalise on this resource, as organic cotton
is key to the nature-based approaches that comprise over 30 percent of the
solution for climate by minimizing harm and maximizing positive impacts.
Fig 7.4 When you choose organic cotton you save… (aboutorganiccotton-Textile Exchange,
n.d.)
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However, the demand for organic cotton is currently outstripping the available supply.
To add this shortage, in Jan 2021 the US govt has banned all cotton coming out of
Xinjiang which is the centre of China’s cotton industry( approx. 85% of the country’s
cotton). The minority community of Muslim Uyghurs are being compelled to work the
fields and in the factories powering these industries31.
Therefore, some brands are choosing to supplement their purchasing of certified

materials by investing in cotton programs that can scale more quickly and incentivize
farmers to implement more sustainable practices from the get-go. This might mean
purchasing transitional or in-conversion cotton (produced by farmers who are
moving from conventional to certified organic techniques), cotton grown using
regenerative techniques (farming methods that improve surrounding ecosystems over
time), cotton sourced through the Fairtrade Sourced Cotton model (which means some
but not all cotton is Fairtrade-certified) or cotton from the REEL Cotton Programme.
➢ India and Pakistan are the leaders of the in-conversion cotton and have the
most land in-conversion to organic, IAME would do well to develop direct links
to farmers and NGOs actively involved with organic farmers and secure their
supply chain. Fashion brand EILEEN FISHER that began sourcing organic
cotton in 2004. They have since successfully converted almost all their cotton-
based fabrics and yarns to certified organic. They have partnered and
supported farms in their transition to organic cotton, like Alvarez Farms in New
Mexico, which now supplies them with extra-long stable organic cotton fiber.
➢ bioRe® organic cotton is CO2 neutral. The compensation is achieved through

the construction and operation of biogas facilities and efficient stoves in the
bioRe® growing regions of bioRe® India Ltd. and bioRe® Tanzania Ltd. The
special feature of this model is the approach of compensation within the own
supply chain, thus creating added value for the organic farmers instead of
31
Bain, M., 2021. The US is intensifying its crackdown on forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region.
[online] https://qz.com/. Available at: <https://qz.com/1956856/the-us-has-issued-a-sweeping-ban-on-
cotton-from-chinas-xinjiang/> [Accessed 10 March 2021]
Page | 135
investing in anonymous climate projects somewhere in the world. (Organic
Cotton Market Report 2020, 2020)
Plant Fibers and

Materials Animal Fibers and Materials
COTTON CASHMERE
BASF e3 Certified Wildlife Friendly

Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) Good Cashmere standard
Sustainable Fibre Alliance
bioRe Standard (SFA)
Cleaner Cotton
Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) Recycled Cashmere
Fair Trade
Field 2 Market WOOL
ISCC Certified Organic wool Table 7.1
Ecological Outcome Verification Materials
myBMP (EOV) portfolio of
Responsible Wool Standard Natural Fibers
Organic cotton (RWS)
Organic Fair Trade ZQ Certified
REEL Cotton
Regenerative Organic Certified
(ROC) Recycled wool
Responsible Brazilian Cotton (ABR) DOWN
US Cotton Trust Protocol Downpass
Organic Down
Responsible Down Standard
Recycled cotton (RDS)
Traceable Down Standard
(TDS)
Recycled Down
For the most commonly used fibres: polyester (51.5%4 ) and cotton (24.4%5 ), the
C02 emissions are estimated at 1.7-4.5 kg and 0.5-4.3 kg per T-Shirt of the fibres
respectively (Kirchain, Olivetti, Miller and Greene, 2015) . This brings about the need
for alternative, lower impact new materials or improved manufacturing processes.
Page | 136
Regenerated Fibers Synthetic Fibers
MANMADE
CELLULOSICS NYLON
Acetate (FSC,PEFC) Biobased Nylon

Cupro Table 7.2
Lyocell (FSC,PEFC) Recycled Nylon Materials
Modal (FSC,PEFC) portfolio of
Viscose (FSC,PEFC) POLYESTER Manmade Fibers
Biobased Polyester
Recycled cellulose
Recycled Polyester
➢ The sourcing and selection choices that a company makes in its raw materials
can positively or negatively impact our planet’s health. The selection of
preferred material32 in addition to cotton would be a move in the positive
direction.
Manmade cellulosics are regenerated fibers made from the dissolved wood pulp
(“cellulose”) of trees. Viscose, lyocell33, acetate and modal are all examples of
manmade cellulosics. They are plant-based fibers that have the potential to be a more
sustainable choice since they are renewable. However, their production process could
contribute to deforestation if the wood used is not sourced responsibly. Converting the
wood into pulp and the pulp into a fiber can also be a highly polluting process.
With an annual production volume of around 7.1 million mt, manmade cellulosics fibers
(MMCFs) have a market share of about 6.4 percent of the total fiber production
volume. Deforestation, logging of high conservation value forest, water and air
pollution, are key risks in the production of manmade cellulosic fibers (MMC).
32
Textile Exchange defines a preferred material as one which results in improved environmental
and/or social sustainability outcomes and impacts in comparison to conventional production.
33
Lyocell’s manufacturing process is less chemically intensive than traditional viscose - it does not
use toxic compounds as reagents (e.g., carbon disulphide) and operates in a closed-loop process -
leading to solvent recovery rates of above 99%.
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While some companies have a management system in place (mostly through strategy
development, policy and sourcing certified feedstock) to mitigate forest-based
feedstock risk, there are a sizeable number that are still to assess their feedstock risks.
Pulp production has had the least attention of all the production stages.
In addition to focusing on forest-level risks, one also needs to consider the chemical
emissions and waste that result from viscose production, which can cause significant
occupational health and safety risk to workers and contaminate surrounding
communities. Solving issues at this stage might require that factories invest capital to
upgrade processes and switch out viscose for lyocell, modal where possible to reduce
chemical risk.
58% of the IEMA offer modal, 52% Lyocell and 48% EcoVero ."Preferred, renewable"
MMC includes lyocell and modal as well as viscose and acetate with certified forestry
feedstock. FSC34 or PEFC35 certified final product using identity-preserved systems to
validate the wood source would be the ideal way to move forward for IEMA .
Preferred alternatives to virgin polyester include recycled polyester and biobased

polyester, ideally tracked through “chain of custody” standards like the Recycled Claim
Standard (RCS), Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and SCS Recycled Content
Certification.
➢ In addition to prioritizing these preferred options IAME can invest in the future.
Biosynthetics are an emerging preferred fiber to polyester. Companies have
an exciting opportunity to create a continuous loop of recycled polyester by
34
FSC, founded in 1993, is an international member-led organization that sets the FSC standards for
responsible forest management and chain of custody. The first FSC certified fabrics were produced
by the fiber producer ENKA and the fabric manufacturer Ghezzi S.p.a in 2017. The launch of the first
products with consumer facing FSC labels is expected in 2020.
35
PEFC, founded in 1999, is a global alliance of national forest certification systems and the largest
forest certification system worldwide. Since the launch of the world`s first PEFC-certified fabrics in
2018, the number of certified textile companies is increasing.
Page | 138
using old textiles as inputs for new garments. With customers are demanding
products made from recycled materials, it is a good time to invest in recycled
inputs.
Recycled nylon is a preferred alternative to virgin nylon, ideally tracked through a

“chain of custody” standard like the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS), Global Recycled
Standard (GRS) or SCS Recycled Content. Biobased nylons produced with renewable
raw materials are promising, though verifiable sustainability standards for these kinds
of materials are yet to take hold. IAME might make design changes to ensure a product
made of recycled materials stands the test of time by reviewing the entire lifecycle of
a garment or look for ways to extend the life of garments through repair or recycling
programs.
The use of sustainable materials would align with the SGDs as below:
Table 7.3 The connection between the use of sustainable materials and SDGs
7.4 SSCM PRACTICES IMPLEMENTED BY THE IAME
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Environmental management practices (EMP)
▪ While 77% of the IAME work towards eco-friendly design/distribution of

products and provide design specification to their suppliers , 44% respondents
have claimed that they help suppliers set up environmental management
system. This indicates a need for 56% of the respondents to engage with the
tier 2 and tier 3 on their environmental practices. 73% of the IAME are
successfully designing their products to consume reduced amount of input
materials / energy.
The above points reflect work on the SDG #17 partnership for goals that talks about
improving access to technology and knowledge in an important way to share
ideas and foster innovation.
▪ Since 65% of the respondents utilize a sizeable share of renewable sources of

energy, it would be worthwhile to research this further to establish the alternate
sources being used and how it is impacting the firm’s carbon footprint.
The above reflects progress on the SDG #7 of affordable and clean energy. GoI is
pushing its commitment to promote RE resources in the country, especially
in the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector, this area
should see more improvement in the next couple of years.36
▪ 72% respondents use recyclable and easily recoverable materials during the
design of clothes. This is another area that would need further research to figure
out the recyclable materials , the route of recycling used as well as the kind of
recycling used—mechanical, chemical, upcycling, downcycling, etc.
▪ 62% of the IAME design products which are reusable/ recoverable/ recyclable.
When recycled materials which are low-impact materials ( that require little or no
natural resources) are used, the growth cycle is skipped ensuring
that the carbon footprint is lower on account of lower GHG emissions
36
The Economic Times. 2021. India on track to meet 175 GW renewable energy targets by 2022:
ETILC Members. [online] Available at:
<https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/power/india-on-track-to-meet-175-gw-
renewable-energy-targets-by-2022-etilc-members/articleshow/80976846.cms?from=mdr> [Accessed
12 March 2021].
Page | 140
associated with the product. While the use of Recycled materials does not make the
product green, but it is aligned with the UN SDG#9 industry, innovation and
infrastructure and #13 climate change.
▪ 90% of the IAME have successfully avoided or reduced the use of hazardous
materials in both product design and manufacturing process. 8% of the
respondents were aligned with ‘Clear to wear’ while 10% of the IAME stated
that they were using STeP37 (Sustainable Textile Production). The product offer
of 40% of the respondents included Oeko-Tex 100 38certified apparel.
Globally, water scarcity alarmingly affects more than 40 percent of people, this figure
is projected to rise as temperatures do. Dwindling drinking water
supplies are affecting every continent, 80 percent of wastewater
goes into waterways without adequate treatment. The reduced use or elimination of
hazardous substances at the has primarily been driven by strict brand norms (further
driven by the legislations in the West). This has helped the factories align with the UN
SDG #6 clean water and sanitation and SDG #14 life under water.
Operations practices (OP)
The IAME have recognised the importance of OP and invested in Quality Management
system (QMS), Just-in-time/Scientific inventory control technique for improved
efficiencies and costs.
Lean production was not implemented in the NCR to the same extent as the above
practices on account of the nature of their business which is typically multiple styles
and low order volumes.
37
STeP is a certification for production facilities of all processing stages from Fibre production,
spinning mills, weaving mills, knitting mills to finishing mills and manufacturers of ready-made textile
items.
38
This standard is applicable for textile products and accessory materials and for articles from all
levels of production including any textile and non-textile components as well as recycled materials.
Page | 141
IAME also facilitate their suppliers to implement TQM/Six sigma/TPM/TQC and
facilitate their suppliers in carrying out Value Engineering to reduce the cost of
components.
They also attempt to achieve economies of scale in inbound and or outbound

transportation.
This has helped the factories align with the UN SDG #12 responsible
consumption and production.
Supply chain integration(SCI)
The IAME have a strong implementation of SCI practices be it updating their

production plan as per the changing needs of their respective customers and share
the same information with their supply chain or establishing frequent contact with
supply chain members and keep them updated on their customer's future needs or
actively estimating customers’ future needs based on realistic assessment
which all are aligned with the UN SDG #17 partnership for goals.
IAME implement advanced safety measures to minimize the risk to accident.

This is in alignment with SDG goal # 3 good health and well-being.
Socially inclusive practices for community (SPC)
A majority of the IAME provide employment/business opportunities to the surrounding

community and health care facilities to the local community. They are also involved in
philanthropic activities like providing primary education facilities to the people living in
the surrounding area.
Page | 142
The IAME are aligned to the SDGs of #8 decent work and
economic growth, #4 quality education and #3 good health
and well-being.
7.5 COST OF SUSTAINABILITY
There is a common thread in the response of the questionnaire and the interviews that
there is a huge initial investment that is required for the implementation of SP. While
some international clients have passed on the onus of sustainability completely onto
the factories, some have appreciated the efforts of their SC factories and shared the
resultant upcharges or accepted the resultant upcharges.
Capital is a big hindrance as most of the IAME have a private or a partnership

company structure which impedes the high initial investment required by
both factory and their suppliers.
→ Provision of low interest loans by the Govt for RnD and implementation of
these practices which would help the smaller players who make the bulk
of the IAME.
The work of Zhu and Sarkis (2006), Diabat et al. (2014), and Govindan and Hasanagic
(2018) deduced that hindrances to implementing SSCM practices could be eliminated
by strictly pursuing environmental regulations. While there are government policies on
environmental pollution, wastewater management there is no clarity of the Sustainable
practices. India is committed to the UN SDG goals but the policy within the country is
still awaited.
Esfahbodi et al. (2017) indicated that in developing countries, increasing demand from
macro-factors, like economic, legal, technological, and social forces, appeal
organizations to eliminate barriers for achieving performance benefits of SSCM
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practices. The awareness regarding environmentally friendly initiatives act as a vital
favourable element for manufacturing organizations.
Fig 7.5 Screen shot of Niti Aayog platform as of 8:45 pm on 10-Mar-21.
Similar finding is summarized by Moktadir et al. (2018) in which leather processing

organization are suggested to initiate sectoral awareness programs for implementing
sustainable production practices.
Lack of knowledge and clarity on sustainability practices is one of the key barriers to
SP implementation. This study highlights the need for awareness programs related to
sectoral-economic attributes that might also provide SSCM performance in the overall
apparel industry through, e.g., amendments in export laws and constitute specific
standards for export- market.
→ This also highlights the gap that should be addressed in form of programs
and seminars by government bodies like AEPC, ATDC so the awareness
of SDG goals can reach the grassroot levels along with tier 2 and 3 to bring
cohesiveness to the sustainable practice across the supply chain in the
industry.
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→ An incentive schemes that promote RE like that being provided in form of
power credits for solar energy generation and usage would encourage the
IAME to adopt these practices.
The findings on managerial barriers are aligned with prior studies of Al Zaabi et al.
(2013), Gandhi et al. (2015), and Moktadir et al. (2018), etc. which described that top
management executives’ decisions are not supportive towards adopting SSCM
practices. The company’s top management’s commitment, willingness, and support
are the core elements for the sustainability initiative. They consider that sustainability
would cause them high costs and might not bring immediate profitability.
A study regarding Indian manufacturers explained that executives are unable to drive
their organizations to adopt sustainable practices because they are not committed to
sustainability vision and organizational objectives (Al Zaabi et al., 2013)
An exporter to international customers would have to consider managerial

commitment towards SSCM practices to better align with the international market’s
sustainability agenda. As the study of Gandhi et al. (2015) concluded that directors
(executive members) are policymakers for an organization and their commitment
towards sustainability demand them to act as resource personnel for implementing a
complete process to achieve the effectiveness of SSCM practices and engaging all
stakeholder for sustainable management performance.
People are more effectively motivated by positive reinforcement and recognition that
is delivered in a positive manner. In the formal environment of business this could be
in forms of a reward, symbolic recognition, public recognition, etc.
→ GoI can use recognition as a motivating tool for IAME to incorporate

Sustainability Practices into their Business Strategy- an annual sustainability
award that recognizes excellence in sustainable development practices among
IAME that provide a measurable and verifiable framework for sustainability
across 3 separate categories- Small, Medium and Large enterprises to ensure
recognition across the cross-section of IAME.
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A few other issues that were highlighted were as below:
▪ The MOQ for sustainable fabrics are normally high and this becomes a
challenge for the IAME whose business model is based on small volumes
orders as was cited by 17% respondents.
▪ Customer demand is not too high was cited by 21% respondents. This,
however, is changing as there has been a surge in demand from clients for
sustainable products in the last few months.
▪ Lack of availability of options for environmentally friendly packaging was

mentioned by 17% respondents . IAME should work on this gap by looking at
developing options locally which would reduce the carbon footprint as well.
The supplier-related challenges also need to be addressed for SSCM practices

since the primary focus of the IAME is profitability. The study of Vachon (2007) debates
that supplier’s role toward adopting SSCM practices is vital, but it can only be possible
if these practices diminish the social, economic, and environmental problems of the
community.
▪ 10% respondents cited lack of resources
Barriers identified in this study focus on long-term performance and are particularly
relevant for India which is a part of the South-Asian Supply chain that forms the
backbone of global apparel industry.
Brand push for SP is a driver for change. Just like social compliances was driven by
brands some years ago, SP implementation too can be pushed through if the business
demands it.
➢ “There are no local laws for sustainability in general with regard to use
organic, sustainable , chemical free materials- no incentives. While laws
do exist for pollution, electricity, use of generators, protection of human
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rights violation, implementation is a problem. We have wonderful laws but
zero implementation. Export factories are so much better than domestic
factories due to brand intervention of 30 yrs.”
➢ “However, the government has come up with some good policies like water
saving, there is a new law in all of Panipat and Punjab prohibiting dyeing. One
centralised plant with a centralized ETP has been sanctioned to cater to all the
factories in the vicinity. Govt gave incentive in form of tax rebates as these
machines were very expensive”.39
The stake holders who have exposure to foreign markets and policies and have a drive
to compete in the international market can also help drive the implementation of SP.
This is reflected in the below findings of the survey:
▪ 29% of the respondents have stated that they have implemented SP to maintain
a competitive position.
▪ 23% of the respondents have indicated that green initiative was part of their
group sustainability activities.
▪ 21% of the respondents have indicated that their supply chain partners were
already implementing green initiatives.
In overcoming barriers to sustainable efforts, it is important to minimize both buyer and

supplier investments in sustainability, especially in tougher economic times.
➢ 42% of the IAME have indicated that the cost of sustainable raw materials has
driven up the cost of the final product and as a result 62% of the IAME do not
feel that they have been able to maintain a competitive position in the market.
39
The scheme for Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP) has been evolved to provide cost-effective
methods for treatment of effluents generated from clusters of small scale industries and in industrial estates.
Page | 147
➢ 38% of the IAME have invested in infrastructure to enable various
environmental, social, quality and safety compliances and standards.
➢ Less than one third of the IAME have indicated that green goals is part of their
company’s vision.
➢ 56% of the IAME need to invest in RnD and explore sustainable fabric and
design offers
➢ 90% of the IAME need to start looking at their carbon footprint as an essential
aspect of Sustainability efforts.
➢ The survey highlighted the need to source locally with a focus on reducing
transportation time and thereby CO2 emissions linked to the movement of
goods thus limiting the distances travelled for raw materials and finished
products by 83% of the IAME.
➢ Gender inequality is a key factor that shapes the degrees and forms of
exploitation within the garment industry. Women workers are most likely to
experience limitations on their freedom of movement and lower pay, as well as
sexual harassment. “In 2021, there was a severe gender violation case in the
SC in Tirupur, a girl was murdered at a renowned IAME that caters to multiple
brands, is the 4th largest apparel chain in India with 28 factories. This
unfortunately is a reality of all south/ Tirupur. This is the status in tier 2 and 3
as well. Even in tier 1 Delhi NCR, every few years you get to hear of sexual
harassment cases.” The top management of IAME must work towards the SDG
#5 gender equality as women form almost half the workforce especially in the
south of India.
Page | 148
CONCLUSION
Page | 149
8.CONCLUSION
The study has investigated that sectoral- economic, managerial, and suppliers related
barriers directly impact the adoption of SSCM practices in either a negative or positive
way.
Furthermore, the firm size is also found to have a moderating effect between
sustainability barriers and implementation of SSCM practices. Thus, the study findings
give important insights into the implementation of sustainability practices in the Indian
apparel exports industry.
The supply chain and the manufacturers “tend to play reactionary role”. IAME have to
abide by the rules and regulations from their international buyer firms about
environmental certifications, etc (Shibin et al., 2020).
The reality of the industry is that “bigger brands have not just ten or fifteen but
hundreds of suppliers which changes pretty often. These suppliers further have
suppliers, so it is a much more complicated supply chain. So, if suppliers feel the need
to keep relevant in their client’s eyes- they need to proactively adapt to these changes.”
Hence, they extend their efforts beyond sectoral or economic barriers to secure
business in the international market for competitive advantage and meanwhile
managing the positive reputation through SSCM practices (Roy et al., 2020; Wolf,
2014; Baig et al., 2020). The results also highlighted EMPs as the most important
SSCM practices which also support the previous literature on SSCM for better firm
performance (Habib et al., 2020; Baig et al., 2020 ).
SSCM practices can be integrated in the traditional supply chains by mitigating

directly impacting barriers, the sectoral and economic factors being the most crucial
ones.
➢ “People are just starting to understand that the volumes won’t be the
same as they were, and that price will not be the only competitive
factor.. the quality, circularity and sustainability will also be a key driver.
Page | 150
Sadly, not enough manufacturers are understanding this because even
today, it’s a price driven market”.
The IAME need to realise that in the long run the brand sourcing strategy would be
driven not just by low price but also factors like sustainability, both environmental and
social, low GHG emissions and low carbon footprint. “Those would be the key decision
makers for the brands as well as the buyers, not just the price”.
➢ While general knowledge and awareness helps in creating the driver for
sustainability, nothing will drive it more than getting more business.
It has been observed that most companies in the apparel exports manufacturing
industry are being run under the private and partnership company structure which
does not encourage transparency. It makes it difficult to change company practices
and badly impacts decisions related to social and operational practices.
➢ As Swedish fashion chain Lindex believes, “Create a strong engagement in the

organization by explaining the purpose of converting to more sustainable
materials. The WHY is very important.”
Traceability is another big challenge not just for brands but throughout the supply
chain.
▪ Exporters have sold normal cotton as organic cotton because there was no
mechanism for checking.
▪ Transparency on social side is equally critical as there has been so much

worker exploitation in this industry in addition to what materials and what
processes went into making the product.
Page | 151
▪ Brands are now wanting 100% traceability, it’s partially to know their own impact
and also to make a consumer story out of it so that the end consumer can
connect to the fact that “they believe in what they are buying”.
While the issue of traceability has still not been solved, a lot of tech intervention has
happened. Most of the bigger brands are engaging in some or the other blockchain
platform to trace the entire chain from farm level. So, one is looking at blockchain like
tech to trace and track the entire SC in tandem with tracers which will connect to these
tech, upload to these blockchain and thus ensure full visibility of the SC from the labour
side to the process side. There is a lot of maturity that has been achieved in this area.
Bigger players like BIRLA have created their own tech using block chain, Welspun
used an external tech called Weltrack traceability chain (Block chain+
tracers).Similarly, Pratibha Syntex (a vertically integrated textile company) is using
tech for tracing organic cotton as part of FFG initiative. So, the bigger players of the
industry have either adopted or are creating their own technology for traceability. This
needs to filter down to the smaller players so that by the next decade traceability
is not such a challenge.
The bigger challenge is the lack of a common platform for traceability. This is the need
of the hour and Textile exchange has stepped up and is pushing for finally scaling and
creating an industrywide standard.
➢ TextileGenesis40 is a blockchain traceability system specifically created for

the apparel sector that focuses on sustainable fibres such as wood-based
fibres, organic cotton and organic wool. Consumers can scan the barcode
with their mobile device to see the various steps that were taken to
create the product.
IAME and brands need to take inspiration from Sustainability leaders like Yvon
Chouinard, founder of Patagonia who started his product development with the
intuition of industrial design rather than fashion with a focus on functionality. This is
40
Textilegenesis.com. n.d. TextileGenesis™. [online] Available at: <https://textilegenesis.com/>
[Accessed 9 May 2021].
Page | 152
enabling the brand to work towards “least harmful way to dress”. As Yvon says “They
need to constantly question themselves on how to clean up the supply chain?”
Starting from the raw materials, the IAME need to
a) move towards measuring the impact of raw materials and
b) move away from synthetics, potentially in the next decade as Biosynthetics

pick up, adopt these.
c) Move away from industrial cotton which is extremely water, pesticide and
energy intensive and move towards in-transition, organic and Regenerative
Organic cotton41. Regenerative Organic is the highest organic standard,
which aims to rehabilitate soil, respect animal welfare and improve the lives of
farmers. These practices reduce greenhouse gas emissions and could help trap
more carbon than conventional agriculture.
d) IAME need to be constantly alert about new materials being tested and keep
testing them out, to potentially replace completely or potentially a percentage
of cotton which is the largest raw material as of now.
→ GoI could look at an incentive scheme for cotton producing farmers to move
from conventional cotton to In-Transition cotton (eventually organic) and
regenerative cotton. India is currently leading the organic cotton production
in the world. This incentive to farmers would not only further strengthen its
position in the global Sustainable materials market but also help improve
agricultural practices in the nation in line with all 17 SDGs.
At the CMT level, there exist easier simpler wins for everyone by redesigning
how they are cutting and making the product, which means reduction in the
factory wastes as much as possible (which is pre-consumer waste) and to
whatever extent possible recycle this waste. Currently the pre-consumer waste
41
Patagonia has piloted their first crop of cotton in India on more than 150 farms working toward the
highest organic standard, Regenerative Organic.
Page | 153
goes to landfills or into secondary markets. Here they are being sold at very low
costs as fillers for mattresses/ cushions etc.
→ If the existing recyclers are able to use this, maybe they may get less money
from this, but the waste can be brought back to the fibre stage. While this
maybe not of high quality, but those are the current best practices. In
foreseeable future the same collectors, may be able to execute chemical
extractions and provide better quality recycled fibre.
➢ “Build the best product”—make stuff that lasts and gets repaired so it can last
even longer.
Some innovations that could be disruptive to sustainability are:
▪ Recent technological developments allow for lower-impact natural fibres like

hemp, bast to be processed more efficiently on conventional equipment. This
can also improve the material properties and characteristics of these fibres,
predicting a future in which these lower footprint fibres might take a more
prominent position in the global fibre mix. Hemp42 needs very little water to
grow, enriches the soli it was grown on, does not require pesticides, produces
twice as much fibre per acre as cotton and is the world’s strongest natural vegan
fibre. The Hemp plant (marijuana’s sober cousin) is poised to revolutionize
industry by taking the place of more toxic materials and putting us on a path to
a cleaner, more sustainable world. Canada, Africa are all looking at options of
substituting cotton with Hemp and IAEM should keep a watch on how this pans
out in the near future.
42
Oliveira, K., 2019. Hemp is the Key to The Future. [online] Youtu.be. Available at:
<https://youtu.be/FY6KnkIgcD4> [Accessed 3 April 2021].
Page | 154
→ In order to maintain a strong position as a global Sustainable materials
source, the GoI must initiate research into practices being followed in
Canada, Africa for Hemp textiles. GoI could look at an incentive scheme for
promoting hemp cultivation for textile purposes. This would be in line with
SDG# 13 Climate action.
▪ AltMat43 from Ahmedabad, India has developed a proprietary process to

extract usable bast fibre from agricultural produce, sourcing hemp and banana
agri-waste directly from organisations and farmers. The fibre is natural,
environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive by enhancing farmer’s
livelihoods. AltMat’s fibre, while competitive in price, still needs blending with
other materials like cotton, viscose and polyester to make it suitable for use in
the apparel industry.
▪ Some regenerated sustainable fibres from bio-resources include cupro

fibres, casein fibres, groundnut protein fibres, zein fibres, soya bean fibres,
silicate fibres and alginate fibres.
▪ In 2020, Eastman expanded their Naia™ line44 to include a staple fibre, which
utilises feedstock from sustainably managed pine and eucalyptus forests and
employs a closed loop and low impact manufacturing process.
▪ Liva Reviva45 from Birla Cellulose is RCS certified circular product which uses
industrial cotton waste as a raw material.
▪ All Birla Cellulose eco products are FSC certified have low water
consumption, low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, made using a closed loop
process and come with complete traceability of the entire value chain. They
have set several global benchmarks on sustainable viscose fibres such as
sustainable forestry, lowest water consumption and carbon neutrality.
43
AltMat. n.d. Home - AltMat. [online] Available at: <https://altmat.in/> [Accessed 8 February 2021].
44
Naia.eastman.com. n.d. Sustainable Fabrics | Naia | Eastman. [online] Available at:
<https://naia.eastman.com/sustainability> [Accessed 9 March 2021].
45
Birlacellulose.com. n.d. Liva Reviva | Birla Cellulose. [online] Available at:
<https://www.birlacellulose.com/liva-reviva.php> [Accessed 9 March 2021].
Page | 155
▪ Phabio46 offers bioplastic solutions made from bio-degradable polymers
made from renewable biomass obtained from waste in the beer, dairy and
sugar industries, as well as food waste and sea weeds. These bioplastics
can also be made from agricultural waste, used plastic bottles and other
containers using microorganisms.
▪ Swatchbook47 is a cloud platform revolutionising the exploration,

visualisation and sharing of materials. The platform enables suppliers to
upload their materials along with other metadata and pricing details for
brands to further explore, discover and visualise materials, sharing them
with other stakeholders for further use.
▪ Descatuk launched a new eco-friendly yarn with New Natural Fibre (NNF)
and LIVA revival of Birla Cellulose. NNF48 is a new natural hollow fiber
extracted from perennial grass that grows rain-fed without fertilizer and
pesticides, at high altitude regions of Uttarkhand. Descatuk has developed a
process of fibre extraction and yarn creation from grass to produce a fabric
that has a similar look to linen but a lighter touch. Grown in the highlands of
India, the wild grass needs neither water nor pesticides. Descatuk also has
a positive impact on livelihoods by providing fair job opportunities for locals.
Maturity in natural dyes and pigments has emerged but their use in terms of scale
is limited.
• Green chemistry solutions are a top priority within the industry. These
technology still do not have the economies of scale, but IAME need to start
engaging with them to push them to come with the scale that works.
▪ Digital printing, which represents a more sustainable alternative to traditional

water-heavy dyeing processes, is another growing area; IAME could look at
promoting this. NTX -Cooltrans provides a digitally enabled gravure printing
46
Phabio.in. n.d. Product. [online] Available at: <https://phabio.in/product/> [Accessed 6 March 2021].
47
Swatchbook.us. n.d. swatchbook | The Home of New Materials. [online] Available at:
<https://www.swatchbook.us/> [Accessed 4 March 2021].
48
Descatuk.com. n.d. [online] Available at: <https://www.descatuk.com/about-nnf> [Accessed 5 March
2021].
Page | 156
method for both artworks and solids. They distinguish themselves from other
printing technologies through their superior fastness, precision and proprietary
inks that are manufactured in-house. The technology is applicable to natural,
man-made and synthetic fibres.
With a substantial part of the industry unorganised, there are several small dye houses
that are unable/ unwilling to invest in sustainable solutions. Adoption by larger players
might bring in economies of scale and trickle down this effect to India’s unorganised
sector.
▪ Replacement of chemical- based dyes needs to be in tandem with sludge

treatment and water purification to minimize toxic input and output. Policy
intervention along this innovation would facilitate this.
→ Central Government is working on various concession agreements (through

bidding route) for setting up CETP and ZLD plants, and various plants have
either come up, or are under construction phase. The government should also
look at financing implementation of CETP and ZLD plants in already existing
dyeing and printing hubs of the country like NCR, Ahmedabad, etc.
The subsequent step is to increase the use of recycled materials and at the same time
to make certain that the products and fabrics are designed and produced to be
“recyclable”. Thus, rethinking blends between synthetic and natural fibres (which are
difficult to separate); being mindful of how rivets, zippers and other accessories impact
recyclability and examining the use of dyes and other wet processing chemicals to
ensure materials can be recycled safely. For a truly circular industry, materials ought
to have multiple life cycles.
➢ Patagonia recently switched the insulation in its Nano Puff® jacket to 100
percent recycled insulation, reducing the product’s carbon emissions by
510,000 pounds
Page | 157
Currently, recycled polyester in India is being made from plastic bottles. While a good
practice, it’s waste of another industry coming into Apparel industry as a feedstock.
So, one can foresee either running out of PET being mined from oceans or the industry
will keep creating more and more bottles which is contrary to the concept of
sustainability. Some larger players have invested millions of dollars in this area—
POLYGENTA49 which is India /Europe collaborative effort have nailed the Textile to
textile polyester recycling. At the moment, the costs are exorbitant, and it has to reach
an economy to scale for commercial use.
→ There used to be a component in the erst-while TUF (Textile Upgradation Fund)

Scheme for adopting to any technology (including that of RE) for captive power
utilization. The same scheme as adopted by various textile units in
Tirupur/Coimbatore belt. However, in 2000’s, the scheme was amended, and
was limited to a certain cap only. At this juncture, there is no direct policy under
‘textile & apparel” for adopting RE. GoI could reinstate this policy for giving the
industry a much needed impetus towards upgradation in line with green goals.
➢ Scientist Veena Sahajwalla is a recycling specialist with some bold new ideas
about how to save waste from landfill. Now she's unveiling her latest invention,
a "micro factory" that creates building materials and tiles from dumped clothes
and glass. What makes this unique is that it uses waste materials and reforms
them into value-added green material. This technology costs between half to
one million dollars.
→ The Indian government should look at the feasibility of adoption of such "micro
factory" technology in the country and incentivize this by providing low interest
rate loans as such technology not only utilizes waste from two industry (Glass
and fabric) but can also be stationed close to site for a low carbon footprint
49
Polygenta.com. n.d. Polygenta Technologies Limited. [online] Available at:
<https://www.polygenta.com/> [Accessed 8 March 2021].
Page | 158
Fig 8.1 The GREEN
TILE developed by
Veena Sahajwalla
(Recycling revolutionary
shows how you can turn
old clothes into kitchen
tiles | Australian Story,
2021)
While trying to estimate the cost implications of implementation of sustainability, the

findings of Giunipero, Hooker and Denslow ( 2012) have been reiterated that the
‘‘Costs for implementing ‘green’ are not at all clear’’ and ‘‘It is difficult to clearly identify
the financial returns (ROI) from the required capital investments to support ‘green’
(initiatives).’’ Thus, the firms tend to reorder their priorities in SSM practice by stressing
the importance of the economic as opposed to the environmental or social value. The
focus in a recession shifts to costs as is the case since March 2020 since covid has
impacted India and the world. The IAME need to realize that ‘‘Green strategy requires
a long term horizon and focus to clearly realize economic and social benefits’’
(Giunipero, Hooker and Denslow, 2012).
Manufacturers are investing a lot of money in multiple accreditations based on their

customer portfolio and their individual requirements. There is a need for a common
platform that all brands and manufacturers can refer for this purpose so that the
funds saved can be utilised for the Sustainable activities.
Companies should explore ways for ease of access of information between various
platforms and streamlining social and environmental assessments for global
Page | 159
transparency. The collaboration efforts of SEDEX and Higgs Co to cut audit fatigue 50
is a step towards this endeavour.
→ The cost of such audits could also be reviewed with brands, taking on a share
of these costs would be in a step towards buyer-manufacturer-supplier
integration. The CSR approach could evolve to include reporting using Global
Reporting Initiative (GRI) models, signature of Global Compact agreement, and
use of indicators to monitor sustainable performance.
Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), a San Francisco-based alliance to promote

sustainable production in the apparel, footwear and home textile industry. Members
have spent 10 years developing the Higg Index51, a common measurement system
for the sustainability impacts of apparel and expect that the insights provided by this
will empower the industry to accelerate and deepen the adoption of climate solutions,
worker protections, and more sustainable products at scale.”
More than 500 brands will adopt the latest version of the Higg Brand and Retail Module
(BRM) that will help the brands gain a deeper understanding of their operations and
value chain practices over the next two years. From March 2021 to June 2021, SAC
member brands and retailers can use the Higg BRM to self-assess the social and
environmental sustainability performance of their 2020 business and value chain
operations across 11 environmental impact areas and 16 social impact areas.
Thereafter in the next six months, they can verify their self-assessments through an
approved third-party verification body.
Through this platform, companies of all sizes can uncover opportunities to improve
their supply chains, from lowering carbon emissions, reducing water use, and ensuring
supply chain workers are treated fairly.
Higg Materials Sustainability Index (Higg MSI), the leading tool to assess the
environmental impact of materials in the apparel, footwear, and textile industry. The
Higg MSI can calculate the environmental impacts of millions of possible material
manufacturing variations. The Higg MSI captures how the five environmental impacts
50
https://www.just-style.com/news/sedex-and-higg-co-collaborate-to-cut-audit-fatigue_id140309.aspx
51
Fibre2fashion.com. 2021. Over 500 brands to use latest version of the Higg BRM. [online] Available
at: <https://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/apparel-news/over-500-brands-to-use-latest-version-of-the-
higg-brm-272826-newsdetails.htm> [Accessed 14 April 2021].
Page | 160
would change based on different raw material or production process options, such as
switching from batch dyeing to continuous dyeing. Higg MSI users can also customise
how their companies uniquely produce materials and use Higg MSI data to help them
make more sustainable choices.
Social auditing in itself does little to improve working conditions in the apparel industry.
Yet, over the last 20-30 years there has been an increase in social auditing, subjecting
manufacturers to repetitive and duplicative, resource-intensive audits multiple times a
year. SLCP (Social and Labour Convergence) was established to develop a
systemic solution to this problem. SLCP has brought together diverse stakeholders to
create and implement a common tool to reduce the time and money spent on social
auditing. The aim of SLCP is to redirect savings from auditing to improving working
conditions. SLCP, through the Converged Assessment Framework, enables
manufacturers to take ownership of their own social and labor data. SLCP provides a
single comparable data set and facilitates collaboration between stakeholders. A
facility can share their SLCP verified data with as many stakeholders and clients as
they want. SLCP verified data is designed to be compatible with different standards or
Codes of Conduct. This allows brands, retailers and standards the flexibility to add
their own scoring or interpretation to the data, according to their needs. With SLCP,
there is huge potential to compare data over time and across countries, regions and
tiers.
The survey has indicated that the economic considerations are the primary drivers and
barriers to SSCM implementation. High initial buyer and supplier investment costs
associated with adapting SP has been highlighted. Lack of economic incentive by
government or brands to be more proactive was also established. Sustainability
programs are compliance driven and require top management support.
The study has also indicated that it may be wise for government policy makers to
reconsider their sustainability initiatives since they appear to be currently insufficient
to motivate IAME to increase sustainability efforts.
→ Currently the IAME do not have the option of choosing GREEN power supply
as they have to make do with what is availability. With the multiple projects on
Page | 161
alternate RE, the GoI should look at offering this option to the industry so they
can reduce their carbon footprint.
Efforts should be made at the government level to promote sustainability policies and
laws in India not only at the business level but also at the consumer level along with
stricter implementation and control systems. For policymakers, this calls for use of a
variety of tools such as tax incentives, or public procurement to influence corporate
sustainability policies and practices, raising public awareness related to sustainable
issues in alignment with the UN SDGs like efficient usage of water resources, planting
trees, and creating a society that encourages recycling and reusing of products.
Moreover, governments should increase funding for projects that motivate
organizations and customers about sustainability.
➢ On 10-Mar, the European Parliament has adopted a report which calls on the
European Commission to propose legislation that forces companies to fix
human rights and the environment in their supply chains. The proposed law
refuses to accept deforestation or forced labour as part of global supply
chains. Companies will have to avoid and address harm done to people and
the planet in their supply chains. The new rules will give victims a legal right
to access support and to seek reparations, and will ensure fairness, a level
playing field and legal clarity for all businesses, workers and consumers. This
law could be a benchmark for Indian govt for future policies.
External stakeholders like media, NGOs, general public and activists, etc. can also
influence the apparel exports industry to become a part of a sustainable community.
It could be done through awareness campaigns, social and TV media, etc. Niti Aayog
could play an instrumental role in the roll out of such policies integrating it across all
ministries.
Internal organizational factors could also be comprehended to initialize programs

related to sustainable management practices. The managerial perspective guides the
marketing manager to formulate societal campaigns by empowering suppliers to fulfil
Page | 162
their resources in-term of financial support program or by providing a platform for
upgrading their business entities.
Circular economy is growing and just like any growing field, there is not much data to
work with so there are always hits and misses, there's not enough knowledge.
Knowledge is being built on now which means newer technologies are coming now,
disrupting the industry . One can see how sustainability can actually work into a
profitable business but it’s happening at such a nascent stage that it will take much
longer to build that knowledge.
India has an edge when compared to its neighbouring competitors..
India sources a lots of its own raw materials as it has own cotton production and
polyester production and has the advantage of being the most vertically integrated
among South Asia countries. While Bangladesh is great at RMG, they don't have their
own raw materials and are not vertically integrated. Even Sri Lanka does only the CMT
part, a bit of dyeing and finishing but not much on the material side.
India has a larger eco system of big influential players in the market who also have the
appetite and capacity to work with technologies. Most of these bigger players are
vertically integrated and thus are able to control a large part of the SC.
Arvind or Birla can test not only raw material innovation but also new types of dyeing
technology that's coming up ,CMT automation, etc.
➢ The skills represented in the varied workforces across India are more
likely to be embraced - rather than the approach of China for instance. i.e.,
woodblock printing, hand embroidery or weaving the “slow but skilled”
approach appeals to a consumer’s sense of craft and skill, rather than the
“tech” approach of China, where scale is required.
IAME should capitalise on the above edge and develop India’s strength as the major
sustainable manufacturing Hub of Asia.
We are all suffering from the consequences of climate change.. 2 degree increase and
the amount of carbon that has been released- not just through the fashion industry but
all businesses.
Page | 163
Cumulatively this is so much that we are pretty much destroying our planet and the
only way to reverse this is to change from the business as usual to a model that does
not damage the environment.
➢ “If we do not do it now, we probably won’t have a planet left in the next
couple of decades. So, this is the only way forward for me.”
Page | 164
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Page | 165
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Page | 173
ANNEXURES
Page | 174
ANNEXURE I
QUESTIONNAIRE ON IDENTIFICATION OF THE SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES IN THE INDIAN
APPAREL EXPORTS INDUSTRY

This questionnaire has been formulated to find out the degree of adoption of sustainable practices
in the Indian Apparel Exports Industry. Pls answer all the questions to facilitate this study. Thank
you!
* Required
APPAREL EXPORTS MANUFACTURER INFORMATION DEMOGRAPHIC DETAILS
NAME OF THE COMPANY *
Your answer
ADDRESS ( pls mention town/ city, state, Pin code) *
Your answer
LANDLINE NO *
Your answer
FAX NO
PRIMARY EMAIL *
Your answer
SECONDARY EMAIL
Your answer
YEAR OF INCEPTION *
Your answer
NO OF EMPLOYEES *
Your answer
Page | 175
NO OF MACHINES *
Your answer
COMPANY STRUCTURE *
Choose
PRODUCTION CAPACITY/MONTH *
Your answer
RESPONDENT'S DETAILS
RESPONDENT'S FULL NAME *
Your answer
DESIGNATION *
Your answer
EMAIL *
Your answer
MOBILE NO *
Your answer
LANDLINE NO
Your answer
INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE *
Your answer
YEARS WORKED WITH THIS COMPANY
Your answer
PRODUCT PROFILE / PRODUCT CATEGORIES OF YOUR ORGANIZATION,
Page | 176
Q1. Pls tick the appropriate boxes representing the product categories manufactured by your
organization *
Womenswear
Menswear
Childrenswear
Babywear
Woven shirts/tops
Woven bottoms
Women's dresses and skirts
Hi fashion
Jackets
Intimate apparel
Accessories
Circular knits
Flat knits
Other:
Q2.Pls fill "Y" for Yes against the below list of accreditation status of your organization where
relevant against the below list . If the answer is No then fill N and specify what other corresponding
accreditation is in place
Environmental protection systems ISO 14001 *
Your answer
Social standards SA 8000 *
Your answer
Quality management system ISO 9001 *
Your answer
Safety standards OHSAS 18001 *
Your answer
Additional comments if any
Your answer
Q3.Pls check the relevant boxes against the below list which are relevant for your organization *
Our organization provides safe, healthy and positive working environment for the employees.
Page | 177
Use of child labour and forced labour is not allowed in our organization.
Our employees enjoy the right to form and join trade unions and bargain collectively
The wages and perquisites given out to the employees, particularly to the workers are sufficient to
meet their basic needs in our organization.
Our employees are entitled to leaves and other facilities.
Our employees are entitled to provident fund,
Our employees are entitled to medical benefits
Other:
PRODUCT OFFER
Q4. Does your product offer include any from the below list, pls mark the appropriate option *?
BCI, Better Initiative Cotton
Organic Content Standard
GOTS ((Global Organic Textile Standard)
Fairtrade
Clear to Wear
EcoSafe
Recycled options for synthetics like polyester , Nylon
Lyocell
Modal
Ecovera
European Union Ecolabel (flower label)
Oeko-Tex 100
STeP (Sustainable Textile Production)
Bluesign
None of the above
Q5. With reference to the adoption of the below practices, pls respond with appropriate rating 1
(strongly disagree); 2 (disagree); 3 (Neutral); 4(agree); 5(strongly agree).
Top management is highly committed towards implementation of SSCM programs in our
organization *
The middle level managers are actively involved and supportive for actual implementation of SSCM
practices *
We follow Quality Management system (QMS) in its true spirit to build quality into the product *
We follow Just-in-time/Scientific inventory control technique consistently to keep inventory under

control in the production environment *
Page | 178
We have implemented lean production and follow it consistently to minimize waste *
We facilitate our suppliers implement TQM/Six sigma/TPM/TQC to build quality into the product *
We facilitate our suppliers in carrying out Value Engineering to reduce the cost of components *
We attempt to achieve economies of scale in inbound and or outbound transportation *
We update our production plan as per the changing needs of customers and share the same with
suppliers *
We establish frequent contact with supply chain members and keep them updated on customer's
future needs *
We estimate customers’ future needs based on realistic assessment and responds to their needs
fairly quickly by keeping adequate amount of finished goods inventory *
We work towards eco-friendly design/distribution of products and provide design specification to

suppliers that include environmental compliance for purchased item *
We help suppliers set up environmental management system / get ISO 14001 certification. *
Page | 179
We have successfully designed our products which consume reduced amount of input materials /
energy *
We utilize a sizeable share of renewable sources of energy. *
We use recyclable and easily recoverable materials during the design of clothes *
We have successfully avoided or reduced the use of hazardous materials in both product design
and manufacturing process. *
The safety measures undertaken by our organization are quite advanced and reduce the risk to
accident. *
We provide employment/business opportunities to the surrounding community. *
We provide health care facilities to the local community. *
We provide primary education facilities to the people living in the surrounding area. *
Page | 180
We design products which are reusable/recoverable/recyclable *
We address environmental concerns through green packaging *
If your factory has invested in Sustainability measures, pls answer below questions, else skip to
section 5
Q6.Pls specify the costs of accreditations for the following in INR where relevant. Pls add if missing
from this list BCI(Better Cotton Initiative); Organic Content Standard; GOTS (Global Organic Textile
Standard); Lenzing; Fairtrade; ISO 14001;SA 8000;ISO 9001;OHSAS 18001.
Your answer
Q7. There is additional paperwork and record keeping that is required w each accreditation/ eco-
label, how many additional manhours does this entail?
less than 30 min each day
Other:
Q8. Is this managed by existing staff or an additional person has been hired to manage the
associated processes - pls mark against the relevant response.
Merchandiser
Sustainable head
Fabric manager
Production manager
General Manager
Additional hire
SSCM Sustainable Supply chain Management

Q9Pls choose the relevant options from below list that best describes your experience while trying
to implement sustainability related conditions (SRC) :
Page | 181
Not relevant for us
Lack of resources
No tax benefits or incentives for implementing sustainability initiatives from govt
Too difficult to change current company practices
Lack of clarity regarding sustainability
No specific benchmarking tool
Lack of sustainability standards and appropriate regulations
Lack of training and education about sustainability
Customer demand is not too high
High coordination effort and complexity
High cost of raw materials required for implementation
Very high cost for disposal of hazardous wastes
Lack of availability of options for environmentally friendly packaging
High Cost of environmentally friendly packaging
Inadequate facility for adoptions of reverse logistic practices
To maintain a competitive position
The green initiative was part of our group sustainability activities
Demand from foreign buyers
Difficulty in creating external awareness of green strategies and associated support
Our supply chain partners were already implementing green initiatives
High MOQ for sustainable fabrics does not work for our business model
Q10.Pls choose the relevant options from below list that best describes how implementing SSCM
has affected your business
We have achieved the green goals which was a part of our company's vision
The cost of raw materials is more thereby increasing the final product cost
We trace our carbon footprint and can quantify carbon credits
We have invested in R&D to explore new sustainable fabric and design offers
We have additionally invested in infrastructure to enable various environmental, social , quality
and safety standards
We source locally with a focus on reducing transportation time and thereby CO2 emissions linked
to the movement of goods thereby limiting the distances travelled for raw materials and finished
products
We have been able to maintain a competitive position in the market
Business volumes have increased
Business SKU have increased but volume remains the same
Foreign buyers have passed on the onus of sustainability onto us, the factories
Foreign buyers have appreciated our efforts and accepted the resultant upcharges
Foreign buyers have appreciated our efforts and shared the resultant upcharges
Other:
COMMENTS
Page | 182
ANNEXURE II
PROFILE OF QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONDENTS
52% of the respondents were the top management , 46% the mid-level management
and 2% the lower level management.
Page | 183
ANNEXURE III
PROFILE OF INTERVIEW RESPONDENTS
S. No. Designation Region
1 AGM, Marketing – Factory South India, Coimbatore
2 Divisional Manager, Production and Delhi, NCR

technical- Buying agency
3 Founder, Retail Consultant, Director United Kingdom
4 Sustainability and CSR professional- Liaison Delhi, NCR

Office
5 Fabric technologist- Retailer United Kingdom
6 International Expansion Manager, South Amsterdam

Asia, Fashion for Good
7 Managing Director, Fabric and apparel Delhi, NCR

manufacturer
8 Fabric and garment technologist, United Kingdom

Compliance - Freelance
9 Registrar & HoD , State Skill Missions & Delhi, NCR

ATDC Pro-Up
10 CMD IREDA (Indian Renewable Energy Delhi, NCR

Development Agency Limited)
11 Sustainability and CSR professional- Liaison United States

Office
12 Director -Technical IREDA(Indian Delhi, NCR

Renewable Energy Development Agency
Limited)
Page | 184
13 Partner , Creative Sourcing Agency France
14 Sourcing professional, H&M Bangladesh
Page | 185

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Year 2021

BARRIERS TO THE ADOPTION OF SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES IN

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNLOLGY

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY

Signature of the Student

Dr. Varsha Gupta

Signature of the Author

S. NO. CONTENT PAGE NO.

5 GOVERNMENT POLICY AND ITS USAGE IN THE 87

6 KEY LEARNINGS FROM INDUSTRY CHANGE MAKERS 102

7 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 127

9 REFERENCE LIST 165

S. NO. CONTENT PAGE NO.

4.1 Analysis of the costs involved when implementing an 76

S. NO. CONTENT PAGE NO.

7.1 Material portfolio of Natural fibres 136

7.2 Material portfolio of Manmade fibres 137

7.3 The connection between use of sustainable materials 139

Acronym Full form

ALMM Approved List of Models and Manufacturers

AME Apparel Manufacturer Exporter

ATDC Apparel Training and Design Centre

BCI Better Cotton Initiative

BSDA Balanced sustainable development actions

CBG Compressed Bio-Gas

CETP Common Effluent Treatment Plants

CLSC Closed Loop supply chain

CPCB Central Pollution Control Board

CSP Community-centred Social Performance

CSR Corporate Social Responsibility

CTPAT Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism

DISCOM Distribution Company

EMS Environment Management System

EMP Environment Management Practices

EPR Environmental performance

ESP Employee-centred Social Performance

FAMA Facility & Merchandise Authorization

FSCM Fashion Supply Chain Management

GHG Greenhouse Gases

GMOs Genetically Modified Organisms

GSCM Green Supply Chain Management

GoI Government of India

GOTS Global Organic Textile Standard

GRS Global Recycled Standard

GST Goods and Services Tax

IAME Indian Apparel Manufacturer Exporter

INR Indian Rupee

JIT Just In Time

LCA Life Cycle Analysis

MMCF Manmade Cellulosic Fibres

MNRE Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

MoEF Ministry of Environment and Forests

MoPNG New Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas

MoT Ministry of Textiles

NCR National Capital Region (Delhi, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and

NGO Non-Governmental Organisation

O&M Operations and Maintenance

OCS Organic Content Standard

OHSAS Occupational Health and Safety Management System

OPR Operations Performance

PET Polyethylene terephthalate

PLI Production Linked Incentive Scheme

REACH Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of