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Post India Seminar 2018 Report
“It was my pleasure to participate in the seminar. All stakeholders of the industry were present here. I congratulate GOTS team for the success of GOTS India Seminar 2018”, Prasad Pant, Director - South Asia, ZDHC Foundation.
“It was a very positive gathering and GOTS has done great arrangements at all fronts. I could meet many new friends and I am really happy with the response what I got from the audience at the seminar”, D. Subaashkumaar, Vice President, Anugraha Fashion Mill Pvt Ltd, Tirupur.
“It was a wonderful gathering of Indian and international high level experts. We had concrete examples of investments in social and environmental aspects leading to business efficiency and profitability”, Claudia Kersten, GOTS Managing Director.
“I was very pleased with the response we had from across the supply chain, chemical manufacturers included. The speakers were on-point and the audience interaction was excellent. It all goes to show that GOTS in India has a sustained, growing future", Rahul Bhajekar, GOTS Managing Director.
“Indian consumers as well as Indian brands are looking for ecological fashion products, but gaps remain for criteria and communication. GOTS has the potential to fill these gaps by providing uniform criteria for sustainable production and communication in all parts of the supply chain”, Sumit Gupta, Seminar Coordinator and GOTS Representative in India & Bangladesh.
Detailed Seminar Report
More than 180 delegates from five countries attended ‘GOTS India Seminar 2018’, organised by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). The seminar was held in Le Meridien Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India on 29th May 2018.
Seminar brought together all important stakeholders under one roof to discuss efficiency through sustainability. The attendees included International Brands & Retailers, Indian Fashion Brands, Textile Manufacturers, Chemical Suppliers, Testing Laboratories, Accreditation Bodies, Academicians, Industry Organisations, Certification Bodies, Standard Bodies, Media, Service Providers, Consultants and other important stakeholders from the field of organic textiles and sustainability.
The theme of the seminar was ‘Sustainability as Key to Business Efficiency’. With time, focus on sustainable development has significantly increased both in India and the world. Actively implementing guidelines for protection of environment and people is seen as the instrument to secure the future and reputation of operations in the long run. India has made immense progress in terms of processing of organic textiles. As per December 2017 data, out of the 5,024 facilities GOTS certified worldwide, the highest, more than 1,650 are in India.
In his welcome address, Sumit Gupta, Seminar Coordinator and GOTS Representative in India & Bangladesh, introduced the theme and the sessions for the day.
Four sessions of the seminar addressed the various aspects of efficiency in sustainable fashion and textile manufacturing. The sessions included buyers’ perspective, chemical compliance, social responsibility and futuristic certification systems.
Session 1 - Efficiency through Sustainability in Fashion: Buyers’ Perspective- was moderated by Ms. Claudia Kersten, Managing Director, GOTS, Germany. Ms. Kersten made a short opening presentation and explained how the eco/ social efficiency of a product or service is inversely proportional to its non-sustainable eco/ social impact.
The speakers in session 1 were Mr. Bruno Van Sieleghem, Sustainability & PR Manager, Stanley/Stella, Belgium; Mr. Gagan Kapoor, Global Cotton Supply Chain Responsible, H&M and Mr. Madhav Lohia, Brand Head, SoulSpace.
The Indian brand SoulSpace shared their vision of GOTS certified clothing line for Indian consumers as one of the first movers. International brands H&M and Stanley/Stella reconfirmed their commitment to organic textiles as a part of their strategy to achieve higher levels of sustainability in their respective supply chains.
Session 2 - Efficiency through GOTS Criteria and Chemical Compliance- was moderated by Mr. Prasad Pant, Director- South Asia, ZDHC Foundation.
The speakers for this session were Sumit Gupta, GOTS Deputy Director Standards Development & Quality Assurance; D. Subaashkumaar, Vice President, Anugraha Fashion Mill Pvt Ltd and Prasad Pant, ZDHC Foundation.
It was learnt in the session how tools like GOTS & ZDHC concretely contribute to efficiency since they take over the work regarding chemical compliance management. Subaashkumar presented case-study on how investments in environmental compliances have led to increase in savings and therefore led to business efficiency and higher profitability.
Session 3- Efficiency through Social Compliance– was moderated by Herbert Ladwig, Policy and Legal Advisor, GOTS, Germany.
The speakers in this session were RS Balagurunathan, Founder, Anandi Enterprises; A Narayansamy, General Manager, Armstrong Spinning Mills; Mona Gupta, Founder Director, Sutradhara and Dr Binay Choudhury, Chairman, CU Inspections and Certifications India Pvt. Ltd.
This was a very interesting session with different perspectives on social compliance, its need, management and verification. While, Mr. Balagurunathan spoke about the inherent social benefits of organic farming. It was also evident that it is relatively difficult to measure efficiency in social sector as the most results are long term. We also need to improve communication about social matters- both with the workers and external stakeholders.
Session 4 - ‘Being Future Efficient: Evolution of Standard’- was moderated by Rahul Bhajekar, GOTS Managing Director. He made a presentation on the session title and shared the ongoing work in the field of GMO testing and the Central Database Project.
This was followed by a Panel Discussion on the topic, ‘Futuristic Certification Systems for Textile Chemicals’. The panellists were Mr. Lars Doemer, Co-Founder, GoBlu International, Germany; Dr Pankaj Desai, Head- Research & Development, Colourtex; Dr Rajesh Ramamurthy, Head – Product Stewardship Asia, Archroma; Dr Siva Pariti, Global Technical Program Manager, Sustainable Textile Solutions and Mr. Shriram Atgur, Head- Sustainability & Product Stewardship, AEON India.
Several panelists opined that Ecolabels like GOTS add value to product and process for both verification and effective communication. Harmonization of MRSLs as well as Health & Safety of workers at chemical manufacturing facilities was also discussed in the panel.
On behalf of GOTS team, Mr. Sumit Gupta summed up the proceedings of the seminar. He also proposed formal vote of thanks at the end of the event. He thanked all sponsors, partners, speakers, media and attendees for their respective contributions to the event.
The event was supported by AEON India, Messe Frankfurt (Lead Sponsors); Britacel, Texanlab (Silver Sponsors); Apparel Views, Images Business of Fashion, The RMG Times (Media Partners) and Creativiews (Local Organising Support).
Besides wonderful presentations and panel discussion, the day was filled with enthuastic participation from audience via Q&A in each session. Breaks were actively used by attendees for mutual interaction and generating new business connections.
High Resolution Photos of the event can be downloaded here.
Thank you to all who made this event successful. - Team GOTS
GOTS India Seminar 2018
GOTS India Seminar 2018
As consumers become increasingly aware of the environmental cost of fast fashion, 2018 is predicted be the year that sustainability goes mainstream. Advances in textile process innovations can lead to sustainable development while at the same time improving efficiencies and enhancing profits. GOTS has been organising international and regional events since 2015. 'GOTS India Seminar 2018' is the third event in India organized by GOTS. Earlier events in Mumbai and New Delhi were highly appreciated by participants and industry.
The seminar is scheduled to be held on 29th May 2018 in Le Méridien Coimbatore, India. The theme for this seminar is ‘Sustainability as Key to Business Efficiency’. Stakeholders and actors from organic textile supply chains shall come together and contemplate positive initiatives to achieve business efficiency through sustainable practices.
Through focused and challenging discussions, this one-day seminar shall address pressing issues relevant to the organic textiles industry. It shall equip delegates with best practices and know how relating to the biggest opportunities – and challenges – help transforming their supply chains to achieve efficiency through sustainability.
The 'Seminar Agenda' can be downloaded here
The ‘Registration Form’ can be downloaded here
Post Event Update: Presentations from the seminar can be downloaded from below links
Session 1: Efficiency through Sustainability in Fashion: Buyers’ Perspective
Gagan Kapoor, H&M
Bruno Van Sieleghem, Stanley/Stella
Madhav Lohia, SoulSpace
Session 2: Efficiency through GOTS Criteria and Chemical Compliance
GOTS Criteria and New Requirements
Sumit Gupta, GOTS
D. Subaashkumaar, Anugraha Fashion Mill Pvt Ltd
Guidance for ZDHC Tools and Risk Based Testing for textiles & chemical inputs
Prasad Pant, ZDHC Foundation
Session 3: Efficiency through Social Compliance
Inherent social benefits of organic farming
RS Balagurunathan, Anandi Enterprises
Better HR practices for business efficiency, A Case Study
A Narayansamy, Armstrong Spinning Mills
Third party audits as a tool for better social compliance
Mona Gupta, Sutradhara
Auditing for GOTS Social Compliance
Dr Binay Choudhury, CU Inspections and Certifications India Pvt. Ltd
Session 4: Being Future Efficient: Evolution of Standard
The seminar shall look at key issues such as:
- Sustainability in Fashion Industry: What are the current trends in eco-fashion domain? What are the priorities and experiences of conscious buyers? How are Indian and international brands integrating organic textiles in their product offerings?
- Chemical and Environmental Compliance: What are the latest requirements in GOTS? How does it keep pace with technical research and market requirements? What are the current trends in environmental compliances? What needs to be tested? Where should it be tested?
- Future of compliances and standards: What are the latest challenges? How are other stakeholders in the market setting their requirements? How can organisations collaborate to reduce double working?
Kindly refer to the Seminar Agenda for full details.
Why should you attend?
- Engaging, interactive sessions– Interesting stories with first hand experiences, panel debates and interactive sessions. The seminar provides a range of topics, with an emphasis on audience interaction.
- Content is designed for action and practice – the agenda and event structure is designed to provide actionable tools and practical insights that can be applied. We will also be sharing post event report from the seminar with all participants.
Please Register Today!
For registration fee and modes of payment, please refer to Registration Form.
Please feel free to contact the seminar coordinator for any related questions.
Contact: Sumit Gupta
Seminar Coordinator
Representative in India and Bangladesh
Email:
Mobile: +91 9892270594
Lead Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Media Partners
Local Organising Partner in India
GOTS Regional Round Table in Charleston
Thanks to all!
Making a Business Case for GOTS Certification
Learn how the worlds universally recognized textile standard can validate your organic claim. Attendees will include Textile Manufacturers, Brands, Certifiers and Scholars.The venue is the Hilton Garden Inn Mount Pleasant, Charleston, South Carolina February 27 2018
Kindly RSVP to Lori Wyman at to reserve your seat.
Agenda:
9:00 – 9:15 Welcome greeting, Lori Wyman, North American Representative for GOTS.
9:15 – 9:45 How GOTS intersects with USDA’s National Organic Program and international organic programs, Gwendolyn Wyard Regulatory Director, Organic Standards & Food Safety for the Organic Trade Association (OTA).
9:45 – 10:15 GOTS - Standard Criteria and Labeling Rahul Bhajekar, GOTS Director of Standards Development and Quality Assurance.
10:15-10:30 Mid-morning break
10:30-11:00 The Business Case for Sustainability - Linking GOTS to Competitive Strategies. Claudia Kersten, GOTS Director of Marketing and Finance.
11:00 – 11:30 Today’s millennial consumer is tomorrow’s organic parent – a report on OTA’s recent marketing survey and international trade opportunities for GOTS certified textiles, Monique Marez, Director of International Trade for OTA.
11:30-Noon Q&A Panel with all morning speakers
Noon – 1:00: Lunch
1:00 – 1:30: How GOTS is strengthening the U.S. Apparel Industry. Speaker Marci Zaroff, CEO of the brands Metawear Organic and Under The Canopy.
1:30 – 2:00: How GOTS is strengthening the U.S. Home Décor Industry. Speaker Eileen Mockus, CEO & Proven Textile Innovator of Coyuchi.
2:00 – 2:30: Afternoon break
2:30-3:00: Safeguarding your company from “Greenwashing” through third-party verification. Angela Wartes-Kahl, Oregon Tilth Certification Organization (OTCO).
3:00 – 3:30 Sector specific circles to gather in small groups for networking "GOTS Connect".
3:30-3:45 Presenting "GOTS Connect Ideas"
3:45 – 4:00 Projections for GOTS going forward and closing remarks. Lori Wyman, North American Representative for GOTS.
Kindly RSVP to Lori Wyman at to reserve your seat.