The SportTech Pavilion at Techtextil India, hosted by Concepts N Strategies, concluded with a unanimous declaration: for India to successfully execute its "Premium Mandate" and move "Beyond CMT," technical textile innovation and radical sustainability are non-negotiable. The future of Indian activewear relies on turning the factory floor into a science lab that prioritizes green operations and next-generation materials.

Sustainability as a "Given Thing"

For the new generation of brands, the idea of offering sustainable products is no longer a unique selling proposition; it is the entry ticket to the premium market.

●     Mindset Shift: Praveen Dhake, founder of the high-performance brand Athlos Activewear, emphasized this critical shift in perception: "Sustainability, I think, at least going ahead for most of the brands, should be a very big component. It should be not just a market." He stressed that his brand doesn't sell a running short because "it’s sustainable," but because it's a "damn good running short" that happens to align with eco-conscious principles.

●     Ethical Storyline: The demand for performance must be matched by a transparent, ethical "storyline" that explains how genuinely the product is made, satisfying a global consumer base increasingly aware of the environmental footprint of apparel.

Clean Manufacturing: The green infrastructure mandate

To meet global compliance standards and secure buyer trust, Indian mills are heavily investing in state-of-the-art green infrastructure, moving away from polluting legacy processes.

●     Zero impact facilities: Puneet Singla, General Manager Kusumgar Limited detailed his company's commitment, noting that "compliance is also one thing that we live with." This is demonstrated through tangible, massive investments: running a "zero-coil boiler," maintaining a "zero liquid discharge facility," and generating up to "65 to 70 percent of electricity coming from the solar rooftop" panels.

●     Eliminating water use: The industry is even tackling one of the most water-intensive processes in textiles. Panelists noted the introduction of technologies like "waterless dyeing," which not only conserves resources but also allows for smaller production runs (e.g., dyeing to the level of 15-20 pieces of fabric), essential for the faster cycles required by international buyers.

The Material Science Frontier: From recycled to bio-tech

The most intense focus is on the raw materials themselves, pushing manufacturers to master synthetic and natural performance fibers.

●     Innovation in eco-materials: Brands are expanding beyond conventional cotton, leveraging advanced fibers for high-performance gear. Athlos Activewear exclusively works with fibers like merino wool, recycled nylon, recycled polyester, bamboo, and Tencel. There is also future exploration into bio-tech to pursue non-recycling-focused sustainability.

●     Technical fabric breakthroughs: Indian mills are demonstrating advanced capability, achieving production that rivals international leaders. Puneet Singla highlighted the successful manufacturing of fabrics "as fine as 15 denier," resulting in weights as low as 35 gsm—a level of finesse previously difficult to source domestically.

●     The Nylon challenge: Despite progress, a critical supply chain gap remains: high-quality nylon yarn. The industry confirmed that the problem of sourcing good polyester is "solved," but brands still need to look overseas for premium nylon. This need has triggered a new mandate for local manufacturers to collaborate and invest in MMF (Man-Made Fiber) processing and spinning plants to close this gap and ensure reliable, consistent domestic sourcing.

The convergence of radical technical innovation and rigorous environmental compliance is rapidly becoming the defining characteristic of India’s competitive edge, ensuring that the country is ready to deliver not just products, but solutions built on a clean and capable foundation.

These panel discussions were held at the SportTech Pavilion during Techtextil India (November 19-21, 2025, in Mumbai). The sessions were titled "The Premium Mandate" and "Beyond CMT" and were moderated by Concepts N Strategies.