The World Trade Center (WTC) Mumbai, All India Association of Industries (AIAI), and Tisser Artisans Trust jointly hosted ‘MahaCollab,’ a two-day conclave aimed at promoting circular economy practices in India’s textile sector. The event featured keynote sessions, panel discussions, an exhibition, and a fashion show centred around sustainability, community-driven innovation, and artisan empowerment.
A central highlight of MahaCollab was the inauguration of the Aarohan Skill Center, launched to provide vocational training and entrepreneurial support for women artisans. Veteran theatre actor and casting director Dolly Thakore attended the ceremony.
Government Push for Textile Circularity
Roop Rashi Mahapatra, Commissioner at the Ministry of Textiles, highlighted a new partnership between the ministry, Tisser Artisans Trust, and the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation to develop a replicable textile recycling model. The initiative aims to implement in-loop and out-of-loop circularity, incorporating traceability mechanisms to track garments from fibre production to consumption.
She further underlined the sector’s significance to India’s economy, citing that it employs approximately 100 million people and holds global leadership in cotton, silk, jute, and man-made fibre production. Mahapatra emphasized the need to formalize post-consumer textile collection and reintegration processes to maintain sustainability.
Institutional Support for Artisan Empowerment
In his keynote address, Dr. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman of WTC Mumbai and President of AIAI, spoke on the global diversity of textile expertise and the importance of international collaboration. He emphasized the need to support artisans in expanding their market reach and technological capabilities, assuring institutional backing for similar future initiatives.
Tisser Artisans Trust founder Dr. Megha Phansalkar elaborated on the organization’s efforts to strengthen the handmade value chain through education, awareness, and market linkages. She announced the Aarohan Skill Center as a key step toward building resilient producer enterprises led by women artisans.
Global Collaboration on Circularity
MahaCollab also featured a panel discussion on global best practices in textile circularity and women’s economic empowerment. Diplomats and industry leaders shared national initiatives and frameworks supporting sustainability.
Martin Maier, Consul General of Switzerland, shared how Switzerland used policy tools such as high-cost waste disposal and accessible recycling facilities to instill a national habit of sustainable living.
Czech Republic’s Consul General Katerina Vovkova spoke about her country’s roadmap to achieving full textile circularity by 2040. She noted a rise in startups contributing to this transformation.
Sri Lanka’s Consul General Shirani Ariyarathne detailed her country’s Clean Sri Lanka Project, a $5 billion initiative launched in 2025 to combat waste. She highlighted Sri Lanka’s existing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India as a key enabler of textile cooperation and said this event could further enhance cross-border collaboration in sustainability.
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Global and Local Visions Align
Adolfo Garcia Estrada, Consul General of Mexico, underscored the importance of indigenous knowledge and women artisans in driving sustainability. He cited India’s tradition of textile repurposing as a model and expressed solidarity with global initiatives such as Mexico’s Year of Indigenous Women in 2025.
With the support of national and international stakeholders, MahaCollab aims to elevate the role of artisans in the global sustainability discourse, create long-term livelihood solutions, and embed circularity in India’s textile value chain.
Reported by SMEVenture | With inputs from event organisers and dignitaries