The Textiles Committee, a statutory body under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, celebrated its 62nd Foundation Day at its headquarters in Mumbai on August 22, reaffirming its focus on quality, traceability, sustainability and global competitiveness across India’s textile value chain.
Established on August 22, 1964, under the Textiles Committee Act, 1963, the organisation has evolved from a conventional pre-shipment inspection agency into a broader facilitator of quality standardisation, export development, testing, certification, research and support for artisans and textile businesses.
The Foundation Day event was attended by Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh, Maharashtra Minister of Textiles Sanjay Savkare, Textile Commissioner and Vice Chairperson of the Textiles Committee Vrunda Manohar Desai, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles Manisha Chatterjee, Development Commissioner for Handlooms Dr. M. Beena, Secretary, Textiles Committee Kartikay Dhanda, senior government officials, Export Promotion Councils, industry representatives, ginners and other stakeholders.
Giriraj Singh Calls for Zero-Defect Manufacturing
Addressing the gathering, Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh highlighted the transformation of the Textiles Committee over the past six decades.
He emphasised that India’s global competitiveness in the Viksit Bharat 2047 era will increasingly depend on zero-defect manufacturing, traceability and environmental conformity.
The Minister also reiterated the government’s 5F vision – Farm to Fibre, Fibre to Factory, Factory to Fashion and Fashion to Foreign – as a framework for strengthening India’s textile ecosystem from raw materials to international markets.
He highlighted the expansion of Textile Export Facilitation Centres (TEFCs), which are intended to simplify FTA utilisation and export clearances, particularly for MSMEs. He also called for Indian textile certification systems to be positioned alongside leading international accreditation benchmarks.
Maharashtra Highlights Scope for Cluster-Level Collaboration
Maharashtra Minister of Textiles Sanjay Savkare highlighted the potential for greater collaboration between the State’s major powerloom clusters and the Textiles Committee’s testing infrastructure.
He pointed to textile hubs such as Bhiwandi, Ichalkaranji and Solapur, while emphasising opportunities for joint initiatives covering skill development, cluster-level testing clinics and sustainable waste recovery.
Such interventions could help textile clusters improve quality compliance while addressing sustainability and resource-efficiency requirements in domestic and international markets.
Strengthening Handloom Authenticity
The Textiles Committee also continues to play a role in protecting India’s handloom heritage and strengthening the market identity of authentic products.
Dr. M. Beena, Development Commissioner for Handlooms, highlighted initiatives including the India Handloom Brand (IHB) and Handloom Mark, which provide quality and authenticity frameworks for handloom products.
The Committee also supports the protection of traditional handloom products through the Geographical Indications (GI) framework, helping connect India’s regional textile heritage with domestic and global markets.
Focus on Circularity and Textile Recovery
Textile Commissioner and Vice Chairperson of the Textiles Committee Vrunda Manohar Desai highlighted the organisation’s interventions across the textile value chain.
These include GI tagging, post-GI handholding and textile recovery initiatives.
A major development has been the establishment of India’s first municipal-scale Textile Recovery Facility (TRF) in collaboration with the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC).
The facility represents an important step towards developing organised systems for recovering post-consumer textiles and directing them towards reuse, upcycling and recycling.
Advancing Green Chemistry and Skill Development
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles Manisha Chatterjee highlighted the Committee’s work in green chemistry through the UNIDO-GEF Project – Eliminating Hazardous Chemicals from the Textile and Fashion Supply Chain.
The initiative focuses on reducing the use of hazardous chemicals and supporting safer and more sustainable textile and fashion production.
She also highlighted SAMARTH – the Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector, which aims to transform unskilled manpower into a skilled workforce across different segments of the textile industry.
National Testing Infrastructure
Over the past six decades, the Textiles Committee has expanded its technical and developmental responsibilities in response to changing requirements in both domestic and international markets.
The organisation operates a nationwide network of NABL-accredited eco-testing and physical testing laboratories. These facilities provide specialised testing, including restricted-substance analysis, at accessible costs, with particular relevance for MSMEs seeking to meet increasingly stringent global requirements.
Testing and certification capabilities are becoming increasingly important as international markets introduce tighter requirements around chemical safety, environmental performance, product quality and traceability.
Building National Textile Brands
The Textiles Committee has developed and supported several branding and authenticity frameworks covering different segments of India’s textile value chain.
Handloom Mark
The Handloom Mark provides a recognised identity for India’s handloom products, helping establish authenticity and create a premium positioning for handwoven products in domestic and international markets.
India Handloom Brand
The India Handloom Brand focuses on rigorous quality and chemical-safety benchmarks, supporting the positioning of certified Indian handloom products in premium markets while helping improve returns for weavers.
Jute Mark India
The Jute Mark India (JMI) initiative provides a standardised identity for India’s jute products and supports the expansion of jute into biodegradable packaging and diversified lifestyle applications.
Bharat Wool Mark
The Bharat Wool Mark establishes objective quality and grading standards for indigenous wool. The initiative aims to create stronger links between pastoral communities and modern textile and apparel markets.
Pashmina Mark
The Pashmina Mark uses advanced authentication technologies, including DNA testing, microscopic analysis and digital tracking, to protect genuine Pashmina from synthetic blends and counterfeit products.
Improving Raw Cotton Quality
The Committee has also undertaken initiatives to strengthen the quality and credibility of India’s raw cotton supply.
Under its Star-Rated Ginning and Pressing Factories initiative, the Textiles Committee has classified 1,463 modernised ginneries on a one-to-five-star scale.
The programme is designed to help spinning mills and traders identify ginneries capable of supplying standardised and contamination-free cotton. At the same time, the rating system can help participating ginneries strengthen their market credibility and potentially command premium value.
Market Intelligence for Textile Policy
Beyond testing and certification, the Textiles Committee conducts consumer purchase behaviour surveys and international trade-flow analysis.
The resulting market intelligence can support India’s bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations and inform domestic industrial policy.
As global textile trade becomes increasingly influenced by consumer preferences, sustainability regulations and changing sourcing strategies, access to reliable market intelligence is becoming an important component of export competitiveness.
Next Phase: Digital Traceability and Circular Economy
As the Textiles Committee enters its 63rd year, the organisation has reaffirmed its focus on digital traceability, decentralised testing and circular economy solutions.
Future priorities include:
- Expanding QR- and NFC-based digital traceability
- Increasing decentralised testing camps
- Supporting remote handloom and powerloom clusters
- Strengthening textile recovery systems
- Promoting circular economy solutions in urban local bodies
- Supporting sustainable practices in industrial parks
These initiatives reflect the changing expectations of global textile markets, where product quality is increasingly linked with authenticity, transparency, environmental compliance and traceability.
Strengthening India’s Global Textile Competitiveness
The 62nd Foundation Day celebrations highlighted the changing role of the Textiles Committee in India’s textile ecosystem. From quality inspection and laboratory testing to GI protection, artisan support, export facilitation, sustainable chemistry and textile recovery, its responsibilities now span multiple stages of the value chain.
With international buyers demanding higher standards for quality, sustainability and supply-chain transparency, the Committee’s expanding focus on zero-defect manufacturing, environmental conformity and digital traceability could play an important role in strengthening India’s position as a globally competitive textile sourcing destination.