Good morning [%first_name |Dear Reader%],

Earlier this week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wore a jacket made out of recycled plastic bottles to Parliament. 

Crafted by Indian Oil and part of the company’s green initiative, the material is created by crushing plastic bottles into small chips, then heating them and passing them through a spinneret to turn them into a fluffy, woolly polyester staple fibre, which is later spun into yarn, and eventually woven into polyester fabric.

And the PM wearing it is really just the beginning for Indian Oil’s sustainable garments project. 

Going forward, the company aims to recycle 10 crore PET bottles into uniforms for its own employees and those of other oil marketing companies (OMCs), non-combat uniforms for the Army, and uniforms/dresses for other institutions. It also plans to sell clothes made from the fabric to retail customers under the brand—Unbottled.

Wild. 

So, is India’s sustainable fashion moment finally here? 

Well, maybe. Sort of. Having no less than the PM wear the fabric is certainly guaranteed to get you some eyeballs. 

But India’s real sustainable fashion story is quite complex. 

Is India’s sustainable fashion moment here?

India is already one of the largest apparel markets in the world, it’s getting bigger, and considering its historical and cultural underpinnings, many believe it can play a unique role in nurturing sustainable fashion.

According to India Sustainability Report 2020, around 45% of Indian consumers want to adopt recyclable fashion and 22% would prefer upcycled—garments. And the global ethical fashion market is itself likely to grow to about US$8.17 billion this year. 

There’s a good reason for the increasing skew towards sustainable fashion. The clothing industry makes a not insignificant contribution to air and water pollution.