One company that has kept India’s flag flying high at all international sustainability forums over the last decade, Pratibha Syntex is today a role model of how one can run a profitable textile company in a sustainable manner. Under the dynamic leadership of its young Managing Director, Shreyaskar Chaudhary, Pratibha has in the past few months addressed many important platforms on sustainability, continuing with its commitment to be the flag bearer of sustainable growth.
Now widely acknowledged as frontrunner in sustainable initiatives, Pratibha Syntex recently won the Parivartan Sustainability Leadership Award for its Spun Dyed Viscose, under the sustainable product innovation category. The award was conferred during the Annual Summit of Sustainable Business Leadership Forum (SBLF) held in New Delhi by an eminent jury consisting of panelists from various industry sectors, academia and Government of India. Standardizing solutions for a consuming planet, Shreyaskar has innovated to guide in sourcing of a product line that is otherwise perceived as a poor performer, turning it into gold in disguise. Keeping spun-dyed viscose fabrics in stocks and offering it off the shelf, is a key initiative that Pratibha is now undertaking.
A passionate promoter of organic, Shreyaskar took centre stage at the Annual SBLF, speaking eloquently on the importance of Collaborative Innovation at the CEOs panel discussion where fellow panelists were Narendra Taneja, National Convener, Energy Cell, BJP; K.C. Mehra, Chairman, SKF India; former Dy. MD, Tata Steel; and former Chairman, NBQP (QCI), Beroz Gazdar, Vice President Sustainability, Mahindra & Mahindra. The session was moderated by Upendra Bhatt, CEO, cKinetics.
Earlier at the Global Investor Summit, organized by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, Shreyaskar underlined the current state of affairs of the textile industry and the need for investment in Madhya Pradesh to strengthen the industry in the region. At the National Organic Farming Summit in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, Team Pratibha interacted with the Chief Minister to discuss Extension, Research & Development Activities in Organic Agriculture. Making fashion responsible in all mainstream businesses is a key driver for Pratibha.
At the global level, Pratibha represented Indian organic cotton farmers at Fairtrade Foundations’ Regional Supporter Conferences earlier this year in September. The Fairtrade Foundation and the National Fairtrade Organisation of United Kingdom organized Regional Supporter Conferences throughout the country which are aimed at connecting grass root activists with each other and beneficiaries from the Fairtrade products like coffee, banana, cocoa and of course cotton. This year, Pratibha Syntex got the opportunity to represent Indian Organic and Fairtrade farmers. Vasudha – the organic farming wing of Pratibha Syntex, has been a beneficiary of GBP 350,000 which has been invested in various community development initiatives including schools, farmers’ insurance, organic training, sanitation facilities, cattle protection and warehouse construction.
Innovation is a key in the sustainability world and is being driven at Pratibha on resource conservation in process, product, and is constantly working on building a leaner and more efficient organization on each of the P’s in context. Shreyaskar is on the board of Textile Exchange Europe with primary focus on organic cotton farming. November 2015 Textile Exchange hosts the much awaited annual conference in Mumbai with Pratibha as a key sponsor and supporter of the initiative in the last decade. An LCA study undertaken by Textile Exchange has brought comparison to conventional cotton, and the indicative values are:
• 46% reduced global warming potential
• 70% less acidification potential
• 26% reduced eutrophication potential (soil erosion)
• 91% reduced blue water consumption
• 62% reduced primary energy demand
Besides the above advantages that organic cotton at Pratibha offers, initiatives are also undertaken in recycling and reducing waste at source. Being top-driven, it is now a companywide movement in product manufacture, process design and strategic planning at Pratibha.
