TOP STORY

Regulators Failing to Substantiate Conservation Benefits of Wildlife Fashion Trade, Argues Study

The wildlife fashion industry promotes crocodile, python and ostrich products as sustainable and supportive of species conservation. A recent study challenges that narrative after regulators and CITES were unable to provide independent scientific data substantiating conservation benefit claims when formally requested. The findings shift scrutiny from industry assurances to the evidentiary standards underpinning permissive wildlife trade policy.

Latest: Updates
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CIRCULARITY / RECYCLING / SECONDS / WASTE

Discarded Mussel Shells Can Replace Garnet Abrasives in Industrial Denim Sandblasting Processes, Study Finds

Researchers from the University of the Basque Country have demonstrated that ground mussel shells can function as an effective and more sustainable abrasive for denim sandblasting. The study shows the waste-derived material delivers comparable abrasion to garnet, reduces material consumption through reuse, and avoids environmental and health drawbacks linked to traditional finishing methods.

 
FLASHPOINT: CLIMATE
Climate Action / Cascale Report

Cascale’s State of the Industry Report 2026 assessed decarbonisation progress in the apparel, footwear and textiles industry using verified Higg FEM data from 2023 and 2024. The analysis showed emissions continued to rise, driven by energy use in manufacturing, with coal dependency, limited electrification and minimal renewable adoption constraining progress towards climate targets across major producing countries.

Material Innovation / The Alternatives

As climate risk, regulatory scrutiny, and supply-chain volatility intensify, the question facing the industry is no longer whether alternative materials can be developed, but whether they can be scaled with reliability, accountability, and long-term resilience.

 
 
 
FOCUS: COTTON

‘MSP Isn’t Distorting Prices’: CCI Head on Imports, Yields, and the Road to Cotton Stability

The single largest cotton trading company and a public sector undertaking under the Union Ministry of Textiles, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), established in 1970, undertakes price support and commercial purchase operations to safeguard the economic interest of farmers in the cotton growing regions and to ensure its smooth supply to the textile industry. A Q&A with its Chairman-Cum-Managing Director, Lalit Kumar Gupta.

 
 
 
SPOTLIGHT EDITIONS: SELECT 4
 
 

"Quote Unquote"

Swapneshu Baser
Swapneshu Baser
Managing Director
Deven Supercriticals Pvt Ltd
The central engineering challenge was not making an existing dyeing process faster but eliminating the fundamental reasons why both conventional and prior-art CO₂ dyeing processes are slow. In conventional water-based dyeing, time is consumed by diffusion-limited exhaustion, repeated baths, fixation, washing, and multiple auxiliary chemical steps.

"Quote Unquote"

Satish Panchani
Satish Panchani
Director
True Colors Ltd
When we created coordinator roles, we consciously trained women back in 2017. Some of them have stayed with us through marriage, motherhood. We provide around a year of maternity leave with full pay. For us, culture is not just words. Many people who join True Colors make it their last job, because they find growth, security, and an environment that values them.
 
FOCUS: LEATHER

India’s Leather Industry Repositions as Global Buyers Converge on Kolkata

Kolkata’s hosting of AILPA 2025 represented more than an industry event—it symbolised India’s recalibration within shifting global trade currents. Amid market disruptions and evolving tariff landscapes, the city emerged as a key platform connecting manufacturers and international buyers, highlighting the sector’s growing capability, design sophistication, and readiness for the premium export market.