The SU.RE (Sustainable Resolution) initiative, a joint effort by Clothing Manufacturers Association of India, Reliance Brands, the United Nations office in India and the Textiles Ministry is India’s largest voluntary commitment to fashion sustainability.
Now SU.RE has partnered with the British Council to unveil a new project which is aimed at transforming India’s garment sector and will run from May to October 2024.
This partnership which engages SU.RE signatories with the UK’s New Landscape programme, marks a crucial step towards building sustainable practices and innovation in India’s fashion sector.
SU.RE aims to transition the Indian apparel industry to sustainable supply chains by 2030 with 16 major brands as initial signatories.
This project is designed to guide and support SU.RE signatories through mentorship sessions, development of actionable plans, and tackling challenges like consumer perception and stakeholder alignment.
In the first phase, SU.RE delegates took part in an UK Study Tour where they connected with reputed figures like fashion designer Christopher Raeburn and Harriet Vocking, CEO of Eco-Age.
The delegation also got an opportunity to interact with the British Fashion Council’s Institute of Positive Fashion.
They also interacted with grantees from the New Landscapes programme, led by the University of Arts London’s Fashion, Textiles, and Technology Institute (FTTI) in partnership with the British Council.
The delegation later attended the Global Fashion Summit in Denmark, where they co-organised a leadership roundtable with Global Fashion Agenda named ‘Building Circular Systems for India’.
This roundtable, supported by the British Council, aimed to align an actionable roadmap for integrating sustainability in the Indian fashion industry.
The SU.RE delegation included Sanjay Vakharia, CEO of Spykar, Darshana Gajare, Head of Sustainability at Reliance Brands Ltd and Ashish Katariya, CEO of Peppermint.
Others were Radhika Kaul Batra, Chief of Staff at the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, Ruchira Das, Director-Arts India at the British Council and Naveen Sainani, Jt. Hon. Gen. Secretary of CMAI.