Textiles play a crucial role in meeting our basic clothing needs and are closely associated with every aspect of our lives. The earliest use of textiles and fabrics date back to over 10,000 years. Fabrics crafted from natural fibres like flax, cotton, silk, jute & coir have been part of our Indian customs and traditions for centuries.
Should we stop chasing man made fibres and embrace natural fibres?
India is home to a wide variety of natural fibres. The global fashion markets are also skewing towards the use of 100% organic natural fibres and brands are now making an effort to go green. With the evolution of eco-conscious fashion brands, there is more importance given to natural fibres in the textile industry than before.
India has a potential to become the backbone of the global natural fibres supply chain. Apart from cotton and silk that are abundant in India, there are other fibres like coir, jute and kenaf are also being produced.
With an ability to produce these wide varieties of natural fibres arises the potential to cater to the international markets which are choosing to use them.
Natural fibres and the vantage points for Indian textile industry
Sustainable choice
- Encouraging the use of natural fibres in the Indian textile industry will help reduce the industry’s environmental impact and promote sustainability.
Encourages natural fibre farming
- It gives a direct boost to natural fibre farming. As there is a constant demand for natural fibres, silk, cotton, jute, banana farming can become profitable ventures for agriculturists.
Empowers handlooms and cottage industries
- Natural fibres have been a part of our handloom and handicrafts. Use of natural fibres to craft natural fabrics & other products, generates ample employment opportunities for small scale weavers, handloom enterprises and cottage industries.
Brings in traceability
- Apart from sustainability, use of natural fibres in the textile industry will also bring about traceability and inclusivity. With use of home grown natural fibres, and indigenously produced natural fibre yarns in the textile industry, it becomes easier to trace the stakeholders involved in the farm-to-fashion manufacturing cycle, thus creating an avenue to establish traceability.
ReshaMandi is driving the change in textile industry
ReshaMandi’s full stack digital ecosystem for natural fibres is empowering farmers, yarn manufacturers, weavers and retailers. With a deep understanding of their problems it has devised effective techniques to optimise the production of natural fibres, procurement of raw materials to manufacture natural fibre yarns and fabrics. All these endeavours will ensure availability and usage of natural fibres and help India to capture the global markets.
