The Honorable Minister of Textiles and Women and Child Development, Smriti Zubin Irani. She stressed the need for sustainability along with cost-effective solutions to be explored in the Textile sector and expanded on the Government’s initiatives thus far. It is a well-known fact that the textile industry has many sustainability-related issues. In recent years, the industry has come under scrutiny, due to the human and environmental impact of its practices. If things do not change, the continued growth will cause untold harm to the planet and the people.
The garment export industry in South Asia is a prominent industry and a major source of revenue for these countries, especially in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. India is the third-largest exporter of textiles in the world and Indian textile and apparel export is expected to cross $82 bn by 2021 and is one of the biggest polluters. It employs a workforce of over 45 mn, 60 percent of whom are estimated to be women. This contributes roughly 15 percent of India’s current export earnings.
The conference was organized by Prem Jain Memorial Trust and Michigan State University, the USA in association with School of Planning & Architecture New Delhi, Lady Irwin College-University of Delhi, IDH-the Sustainable Trade Initiative, Indian Green Building Council and Ella Pad Foundation, Bangladesh.
The Mission of Prem Jain Memorial Trust is to create, establish and maintain the sustainability paradigm through education, recognition and nurturing of the present and future generations. Dr. Prem Jain, the architect of the modern green building movement in India is revered as Father of Green Buildings. He ushered in a paradigm shift in the way buildings are conceived, designed worldwide and facilitated.
