As Europe may soon implement ESG legislation, there is a need for Indian apparel exporters to swiftly modify their operations to align with the sustainable requirements of the European Union.

Many countries are waking up to this looming threat and looking for ways to shift toward sustainability and the EU is taking the lead. Indian suppliers.

In 2021-22, India exported $ 4.2 billion worth of apparel to EU-27 which was about 26 per cent of India's total apparel exports.

"It is vital for Indian suppliers to take cognisance of what is coming and swiftly prepare to embrace these changes. Manufacturers who can modify their operations to align with the sustainable requirements of the EU will emerge to be the leaders and dominate exports not only to the EU but also to other major importers like the USA which will follow suit," pointed out a report of Wazir Advisors, a management consulting firm with special focus on textile and apparel sectors.

"Textile and apparel sector in Tamil Nadu has some unique inherent advantages in the area of sustainable manufacturing," says Prabhu Damodharan, Convenor, Indian Texpreneurs Federation.

Some of the sustainability measures of the industry in Tamil Nadu include the use of 100 per cent green energy, mass implementation of zero liquid discharge in processing, PET recycles plants, usage of entire waste from the spinning process to make OE yarn and fabric, 100 per cent PET recycled textile products to apparels, garment cutting waste recycled to make new clothing, energy-efficient manufacturing, and green certified buildings, among others.

The country's leading textile companies such as Welspun India, Arvind Ltd, Century Textile and Industries, among others have defined their roadmap in the areas of ESG, committing to science-based targets measures.