India maps circular-textiles push to support $350bn industry ambition by 2030

The Ministry of Textiles is advancing recycling hubs, waste-collection pilots, sustainability standards, traceability and PM MITRA parks to strengthen textile circularity and export competitiveness. The roadmap targets a $250 billion domestic market and $100 billion in textile exports by 2030.

— Source publishedFri, 18 Sept, 2026, 17:19 IST·First seen Fri, 18 Sept, 2026, 17:21 IST·Source The Hindu BusinessLine

What happened

Ministry of Textiles · India’s textiles ministry outlines a sustainability-led growth strategy spanning recycling, waste collection, cleaner manufacturing, ESG

Key facts

  • $350 billion textile and apparel industry target by 2030
  • 49 million direct livelihoods
  • $196 billion domestic textile market
  • $250 billion projected domestic market by 2030
  • $100 billion textile export target by 2030
  • 70.73 lakh tonnes annual textile waste
  • More than 70% textile waste recovered
  • More than 95% pre-consumer waste recovery
  • $3.5 billion textile recycling market potential by 2030
  • Around 100,000 potential green jobs
  • 3,323 kg waste diverted in Navi Mumbai pilot
  • Over 12,000 families reached
  • More than 80 collection bins installed
  • 31 certified upcyclers
  • 27 GeM categories
  • 40 products live on GeM
  • 10,530 tonnes direct toxic-chemical reduction target
  • 21,000 tonnes indirect toxic-chemical reduction target
  • 147,000 tonnes direct CO2e mitigation target
  • 294,000 tonnes indirect CO2e mitigation target
  • 7 PM MITRA parks
  • About $10 billion expected PM MITRA investment

Why this matters

Strategic buyers should screen Indian recycling, sorting, traceability and circular-supply-chain targets that can strengthen sourcing resilience and export competitiveness.

What to watch

  • Publication of national textile circularity standards, recycled-content definitions and traceability protocols.
  • Funding allocations, land awards and tenant announcements for PM MITRA parks and recycling hubs.
  • Introduction of textile extended producer responsibility, mandatory collection targets or landfill/incineration restrictions.
  • Export-market requirements for product passports, recycled-content claims and due diligence that Indian suppliers must meet.
  • Announced capacity, utilization rates and quality specifications from Indian fiber-to-fiber recyclers.
  • Brand procurement commitments for India-sourced recycled yarns and fabrics.
  • Map Indian textile and apparel suppliers by recycling capability, traceability readiness, water/chemical credentials and proximity to proposed hubs.
  • Secure multi-year offtake agreements for mechanically and chemically recycled cotton-polyester blends before capacity expansion tightens supply.
  • Pilot take-back, sorting and resale partnerships in major Indian cities, prioritizing categories with high return volumes and simple material composition.
  • Add digital product passports, fiber-origin data and chain-of-custody requirements to Indian supplier contracts.
  • Assess whether India-based circular sourcing can improve EU and UK compliance positioning while reducing dependence on imported recycled fibers.