The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and the Textiles Committee (TC), Ministry of Textiles, have signed an MoU to promote recycled and upcycled products made from pre- and post-consumer textile waste, scrap and second-hand clothes through government procurement.
The partnership aims to create a ‘Waste-to-Value-to-Market’ ecosystem, enabling textile waste to be converted into value-added products and sold to government buyers through GeM.
Under the agreement, the Textiles Committee will identify, verify and certify eligible producers, while supporting capacity building, market research and the development of technical specifications. GeM will create dedicated categories for recycled and upcycled textile products, facilitate seller onboarding and connect them with government buyers.
The initiative will use a hub-and-spoke model to support last-mile recyclers, upcyclers, artisans, MSMEs and local enterprises. It will also focus on increasing participation of women-led businesses and circular-economy enterprises.
GeM CEO Mihir Kumar noted that the partnership would connect certification, standardisation and market access to create reliable demand for products made from textile waste. He added that government procurement could accelerate the adoption of such products across offices, institutions, gifting and other public-use requirements.
The initiative is expected to support resource conservation, sustainable livelihoods and India’s transition towards a circular and resource-efficient textile economy.
