Latest news with #Intellecap
The Hindu
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Sustainability programmes to be implemented in Karur textile cluster
Select exporting companies producing home textile products in Karur will be part of a three-year sustainability programme implemented by the Centre for Responsible Business (CRB). Devyani Hari, Senior Director (Programmes) at the CRB, told The Hindu that it is implementing Life Cycle Assessment programme (InTex India) and Eco Innovation programme, funded by the Kingdom of Denmark, as a part of the UN Environment Programme. Karur and Surat apparel clusters have been identified for the Life Cycle Assessment programme and the beneficiaries in Karur will be finalised within a couple of months. The programme, which will run till September 2027, targets small and medium-scale businesses to equip with knowledge and capability to identify environmental hotspots in the life cycle of a product and document the details. The CRB will also work with the Union Ministry of Textiles, form cluster coordination committees, and share inputs for policy formations, she said. According to a press release, at a workshop on 'Advancing Sustainability & Circularity in Karur Textile Cluster', organised recently in Karur by the Karur Textile Manufacturer Exporters Association (KTMEA) along with Karur Handloom Export Cloth Manufacturers Association (KHEXMASS), CII, Karur Knitting and Weaving Factory Owners Association and Karur Dyers & Bleachers Association and the Centre for Responsible Business (CRB) and Intellecap, more than 100 textile manufacturers and exporters participated. The aim is to promote sustainability and circularity among the textile and apparel industry in Karur, said a press release. P. Gopalakrishnan, president of KTMEA, emphasised the need for sustainable growth, to stay updated with the latest international and national developments and to showcase the strength and the potential of the Karur cluster. The release added that the InTex India programme will provide hands-on support for Life Cycle Assessment to atleast 15 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and develop a knowledge sharing mechanism to facilitate exchange of knowledge, experiences and success stories across different textile and apparel clusters the country. Under the EU Switch Asia - SME Decarbonization, Intellecap, through its Circular Apparel Innovation Factory (CAIF) initiative, will empower SMEs with knowledge, tools, resources and financing to align with global sustainability standards, thereby enhancing their competitiveness in global supply chains. This 42-month initiative focuses on reducing the environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions of 250-400 SMEs across key clusters in India's textile and apparel value chain, including Karur, said a press release.
Fibre2Fashion
09-06-2025
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
Karur textile cluster to deepen focus on sustainability & circularity
A crucial awareness workshop on 'Advancing Sustainability & Circularity in Karur Textile Cluster' was organised in the Karur textile cluster last week. The event brought together local manufacturers, exporters, industry associations, and government officials to discuss and commit to greener practices. Major programmes aimed at promoting sustainability and circularity will support the industry in adopting environmentally friendly production methods. Eminent speakers from the government and industry set the context for the workshop discussions. P Gopalakrishnan, president of Karur Textile Manufacturers Exporters Association (KTMEA), in his inaugural address, emphasised the need for sustainable growth, staying updated with the latest national and international developments, and showcasing the strength and potential of the Karur cluster. An awareness workshop on 'Advancing Sustainability & Circularity in Karur Textile Cluster' gathered manufacturers, exporters, and officials to promote eco-friendly practices. Industry leaders and experts shared sustainable initiatives and global trends. Programmes by CRB, Intellecap, and InTex India aim to support SMEs in adopting circular models. M Prabhu, chairman of CII - Karur District, delivered an industry address reaffirming CII-Karur's vision and commitment, and shared good practices from other sectors that could be adapted by the textile industry. R Kaliyappan, president of the Karur Handloom Export Cloth Manufacturers Association (KHEXMASS), highlighted the spirit of sustainability and the responsibility to leave a cleaner, greener planet for future generations. M Palanivel Rajan, chief operating officer of Asian Fabricx Private Limited, shared information about the progressive practices at Asian Fabricx and also highlighted sustainable initiatives undertaken by the Karur cluster. S Periasamy, a senior textile expert and sustainability advisor to the Tiruppur Exporters Association, addressed the workshop on 'Global Trends and the Relevance of Sustainability & Opportunities for SMEs'. Key programmes were also discussed, with relevant information shared with industry participants. Dr. Prabhat Bhuddha Dev from CRB and Siddharth Lulla from Intellecap presented their initiatives and invited SMEs to actively participate. InTex India has initiated a project for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Karur cluster, which will provide hands-on support for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to at least 15 SMEs. The programme will also engage key stakeholders in developing and implementing a vision for a sustainable and circular textile cluster in Karur. Intellecap, through its Circular Apparel Innovation Factory (CAIF) initiative, is implementing the programme 'Catalyzing the Green Transition of India's Textile & Apparel Value Chain', with support from the European Union under its Switch Asia Initiative. This 42-month initiative focuses on reducing environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions across 250–400 SMEs in key clusters of India's textile and apparel value chain. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Why climate tech founders face rough winds
You can sense the fatigue in the room when climate tech founders in India talk about raising their next round. It's not just the familiar startup tension of chasing capital. It's the slower, more bruising disillusionment of people who built something difficult, often scientifically solid, and now find themselves stranded. Not because they failed to deliver, but because the ecosystem around them failed to catch up. The numbers tell part of the story. Of the 2,600 climate tech startups founded in India over the past decade, only around 800 are still standing. That may sound like a disaster. But to someone like Mridula Ramesh, founder of the Sundaram Climate Institute, author and an investor who has invested in more than 30 entities (not all climate tech) over the last ten years says, that's actually a sign of surprising resilience. 'One fourth surviving is not necessarily a bad number,' she says. 'But most of them really find their footing only around year four or five. That's exactly when the money runs out.' This is the valley of death that every climate startup in India must cross. It's a stretch of time between proving the science and proving the business. And the capital required is slow, expensive and scarce. Made scarcer by signals currently emanating from the developed world. But it's not just about patient capital. The deeper issue, Ramesh argues, is investor mindset. Some investors entering this space don't fully appreciate the science or time required to scale. Climate tech is not like AI-ML, which can mean they fund less-impactful but scalable ideas, distorting entire industries. Ashwin Kak, a partner at the Intellecap, has seen all this up close too. He's spent years advising startups and corporates on climate strategy. He writes on LinkedIn that what troubles him is not just the absence of capital, but the presence of self-deception. 'Many of these startups live in echo chambers. They talk only to other climate founders, apply for the same grants, get the same awards. But they don't talk to customers. They don't ask: Will someone actually pay for this?' That's not a rhetorical question. Because in Indian climate tech, even market validation is tricky. One of the most frustrating examples Ramesh points to is a startup that helps sugarcane farmers improve their yield by 30 percent while saving 75 percent of their water. But because water isn't priced properly in India, they can't sell it as a water-saving tool. They have to market it as a yield enhancer or a labour-saving device instead. 'It's absurd,' she says. 'We're depleting groundwater across the country, and we can't monetise saving it.' This is what economists call a market failure. But in the real world, it means well-engineered solutions can't scale because no one will pay for the thing they actually fix. The same distortion exists in waste management. Ramesh's institute found that just by managing and segregating waste properly, India could generate one to two million new jobs. But unless people are willing to pay for the collection and sorting of that waste, there's no business case to train workers or invest in systems. Cities like Indore have shown what's possible but they're outliers. Policy can fix this, but it won't be easy. 'Pricing water would be a great start,' Ramesh says. 'Just one Mumbai has the population of four Singapore's. Think of the innovation that pricing water in just one city could unlock.' But the public appetite for such pricing reform is weak. In a survey conducted by her team, hardly anyone said they'd vote for a candidate who promised to manage water – and many of them were getting water just once every four days. The ecosystem's immaturity doesn't stop at policy. It shows up in the teams building these companies. Kak points to a common trap: loyalty to the founding team. 'The skills needed to build a prototype are not the same ones needed to scale a company,' he says. But many startups avoid hard conversations. They keep early hires in key roles long after their relevance has expired. And the organisation stalls. Sometimes the problem is the opposite—too much change, too fast. Kak recalls companies pivot so often they forget what they set out to solve. 'A year in, even their advisors can't explain what they do anymore. That's when the team falls apart. Then there are the branding games, he goes on to explain. This includes vanity advisory boards and overhyped impact claims,' he says. Still, there are reasons for hope. The volume of startups entering the space has grown dramatically. 'A decade ago, I'd see one new climate startup a month,' Ramesh says. 'Now it's six or seven a week.' Not all are young. Some lack the business-sense. But they're not lacking in courage. What they need now is an ecosystem that doesn't penalise them for the hard path they've chosen. This means investors willing to learn the science. Advisors who challenge assumptions, not just add names to decks. Customers who value what's being built. And above all, public systems that price the future properly. Because if we continue expecting climate tech to behave like software, we'll keep losing our best ideas in the valley. And in the process, we'll lose time we don't have.
