Government e Marketplace (GeM), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the Textiles Committee (TC), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, have joined hands to promote recycled and upcycled products made from pre- and post-consumer textile waste, scrap and second-hand clothes through public procurement, creating new market opportunities for enterprises in the circular textile economy. The partnership was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during the 62nd Foundation Day celebrations of the Textiles Committee in Mumbai.

The collaboration will create a ‘Waste-to-Value-to-Market’ ecosystem, enabling textile waste, scrap and second-hand clothes to be transformed into quality value-added products and made available to Government buyers through GeM.

Under the MoU, the Textiles Committee will identify, verify, certify and recognise eligible producers of recycled and upcycled textile products, besides supporting stakeholder consultations, capacity building, market research and development of technical specifications.

GeM will create dedicated categories for recycled and upcycled textile products, facilitate seller onboarding and online market linkages, and promote these products among Government buyers. Training and handholding support will enable last-mile upcyclers and recyclers to participate effectively in public procurement.

The partnership will follow a hub-and-spoke approach, with the Textiles Committee and its affiliate offices facilitating last-mile outreach, mobilisation and capacity building of upcyclers and recyclers, while supporting the development of appropriate product specifications and catalogues for Government procurement.

With a focus on women, MSMEs, local enterprises, artisans, recyclers and other circular-economy enterprises, the initiative seeks to build an inclusive, decentralised and sustainable production ecosystem, aligned with the national priorities of Vocal for Local, Make in India and AatmaNirbhar Bharat.

The event was graced by the presence of Union Minister of Textiles, Shri Giriraj Singh, and Minister of Textiles, Government of Maharashtra, Shri Sanjay Savkare. The MoU was signed by Additional CEO, GeM, Shri Ajit B. Chavan, and Secretary, Textiles Committee, Shri Kartikay Dhanda, in the presence of senior officials and industry stakeholders.

Speaking about this significant milestone, CEO (GeM), Shri Mihir Kumar, said “by connecting certification, standardisation and market access, the GeM -TC partnership seeks to create reliable demand for products made from textile waste. Government procurement, with its scale and reach, can accelerate adoption of such products across offices, institutions, gifting and other public-use requirements.”

The initiative will contribute to resource conservation, sustainable livelihoods and responsible consumption and production, while strengthening India’s transition towards a circular and resource-efficient textile economy.

The partnership marks a significant step towards turning textile waste into economic opportunity and sustainable market growth through the scale of public procurement.

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Abhishek Dayal/Garima Singh/Anushka Pandey

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