The Circular Apparel Innovation Factory

Abstract

India’s textile and apparel industry is one of the world's largest and a major contributor to the global textile and apparel production. Pioneering industry players are driving the sector's transition towards less wasteful and more circular business practices. However, there is the recognition that a transition towards a circular textile and apparel industry in India requires a holistic and system-level approach that involves all actors across the textile and apparel value chain to collaborate, innovate and share knowledge and evidence on ‘what works’. This chapter presents a practitioner’s perspective and early efforts to create a new collaboration model and platform for action for the Indian textile and apparel industry through establishing the ‘Circular Apparel Innovation Factory’ (CAIF), an industry-led initiative established by Intellecap, The DOEN Foundation and Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail (ABFRL) with the mandate to build the capabilities and the ecosystem needed for a transition towards a circular textile and apparel industry in India. After an introduction that summarizes some of the sector’s challenges and drivers towards circularity, the article presents CAIF as a case study for a collaboration model and provides examples of innovative collaboration projects that are aimed towards closing critical ecosystem gaps. The article concludes by calling out further areas for industry action and the need for industry iniatives such as CAIF.