Surat and Ahmedabad are the two biggest textile hubs. Surat in particular has expanded rapidly—it even started dealing in cotton about two years ago, roughly 5% of its trade now. Surat’s growth has been phenomenal. Ladies’ materials, saris—products from this port city are sold across the world, even to international brands like Zara. Garments are exported too. But Surat faces the same fundamental issue: defaults and fraud. Traders take goods on credit, don’t pay, and simply move on to another city—Bangalore, Mumbai, Ahmedabad. Entire gangs have been operating like this for years.

And clearly, the Copenhagen Fashion Week case bears industry wide implications, considering how it is being adopted in other countries, and of course, it also affects consumers through the hundreds of influencers and media platforms invited to purvey its messages. Zalando, on the other hand, had 25.000 products tagged with their green coloured "sustainability” flag, while simultaneously asking brands to supply them with "sustainability information" which simply made it so much more difficult for brands to navigate what they were themselves allowed to communicate.

There should be a clear intention to switch to responsible ways of doing things. If someone continues to rely on outdated, resource-heavy techniques, it often means they’re not fully aware of the urgency facing our industry and the planet. Education, transparency, and access to technology are key to accelerating this transition. Once people understand that innovation doesn’t limit creativity and efficiency but enhances it, the shift becomes inevitable.

Some women emphasise that their jobs promise new freedoms: the chance to make decisions about their own lives and their own money. Yet, in practice, there is little room for such freedom—whether in time or finances. Most describe the work simply as a means of survival. Many try to pursue college studies alongside factory work, often with financial help from their families.

The main hurdle now isn’t policy—it’s operational cost, particularly power. Electricity here costs about ₹8.5 per unit, whereas in Maharashtra it’s around ₹4. That difference alone makes a huge impact on competitiveness. When your production cost is higher by several rupees per metre, you can’t match the price of someone in another state. Power tariffs need rationalisation if Gujarat wants to stay ahead.

In the early years, MANTRA focused mainly on testing and R&D support for the textile industry in Surat. It provided services to weaving units, dyeing units, and processing houses. Over time, the scope expanded. Technical textiles emerged as a new focus area, and MANTRA started taking up projects in geotextiles, medical textiles, and other specialised areas.

The development in the country is noticeable and we see it grow every year. As most of the production facilities were built in the last five years and there‘s sufficiently space available in the industrial parks, the factories were set up according to the latest production processes and equipped with the latest technology.

Unlike most Asian countries, Africans produce in a sustainable way by necessity. Africans don’t through away left materials or leather skins. E.g. out of the leftovers of a leather jacket, they would produce a small leather bag, etc. You can see those companies at ASFW Addis Ababa.

The main challenges are erratic rainfall, temperature spikes, and shifting pest cycles. Adaptation requires both technology and traditional agronomic practices. We’re working and have also planned to formulate models with a combining effort on securing improved seed and water management schemes by reintroducing agroforestry practices that improve soil structure and moisture retention.

One of the biggest challenges is competing with the speed and pricing of mass production. Handwoven fabrics require time, patience, and craftsmanship—qualities that often clash with the fast-paced rhythm of today’s fashion market. Another major challenge is the shortage of modern equipment that could enhance the quality and consistency of the weavers’ work. Many artisans rely on outdated tools, which limits their potential to meet larger-scale or high-end production demands.

The success of our 2025 edition, which welcomed over 10,000 visitors and 550 exhibitors from 25 countries has already begun to reshape perceptions of Saudi Arabia’s role in the textile and apparel trade. This global participation underscores the Expo’s role as a bridge connecting East and West, fostering cross-border collaboration and innovation in the fashion and textile sectors.

We don’t just sell printers. We provide turnkey solutions. We supply the printer, inks, papers, and we even set up the processing line — transfer calendars, software, everything. Our application specialists train their staff. We let customers test print 5,000–10,000 meters in our facility so they build confidence before investing. This integrated ecosystem is unique in India, and it’s why we’ve been successful.

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.

Sanjay and I were discussing opportunities and he pointed out that digital textile printing, though established in China and parts of Europe, hadn’t yet made inroads in India. We felt it was the right time to introduce it here, and it was this conversation that had led us to this business.

We went from shop-to-shop, but got almost no positive feedback. Then we came across one customer who dealt in lace. For lace, even a 44-inch width printer was enough. Small pieces could be printed and cut, and the cost still made sense. That gave us our first breakthrough.

Despite its limitations, the Bangladesh Accord (or now International Accord) has shown that brands, factories and workers can collaborate to create a viable governance framework. I would argue that the Cambodian market is easier than Bangladesh in some ways due to its smaller size and more centrally located factories. Also, despite union tensions and dysfunction, the various stakeholders are quite willing to engage.

When a designer can see the footprint of a decision in real time, responsibility becomes a design parameter, just like colour or texture. Transparency doesn’t just inform; it should change behavior, because in the end, we are all responsible. It’s up to us to make the right choices, as producers, designers, and buyers.

The Dutch EPR legislation is relatively new. Hence, we have to involve producers and importers actively to raise awareness. Furthermore, we involve not only them but also collectors, sorters and recyclers to gain a better understanding of what is currently happening in the textile value chain and to get insight about what can be done to further improve things from a circularity perspective.

The overall sentiment is forward-looking: EU trade preferences provide a stable foundation, while Tunisian suppliers are determined to strengthen their own capabilities to ensure long-term competitiveness. This combination of supportive policy frameworks and private-sector initiative is what will secure the industry’s future.

We see opportunities for hemp as a crop that is not related to other agricultural crops. This has a positive impact on breaking the cycle of diseases and pests. Hemp therefore acts as a kind of fallow crop. This means that the crop certainly has its value in the Flemish crop rotation system. Moreover, farmers are looking for alternative crops, and hemp could be a solution here.