Textile Waste Procurement: GeM & Textiles Committee MoU

The Government e Marketplace (GeM), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the Textiles Committee (TC), under the Ministry of Textiles, have executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to integrate recycled and upcycled products into public procurement. Signed during the Textiles Committee’s 62nd Foundation Day in Mumbai, the partnership establishes a "Waste-to-Value-to-Market" framework that processes pre- and post-consumer textile waste, scrap, and discarded garments into commercial items for public sector procurement. Operatively, the Textiles Committee will oversee producer verification, certification, technical specifications, and stakeholder capacity building, while GeM will launch specialized product categories, streamline merchant onboarding, and drive government buyer adoption via a hub-and-spoke distribution model. Targeting women entrepreneurs, MSMEs, regional artisans, and recyclers, the initiative strengthens an inclusive, circular textile ecosystem aligned with national policies such as Vocal for Local, Make in India, and Atmanirbhar Bharat. Formalized by GeM Additional CEO Ajit B. Chavan and Textiles Committee Secretary Kartikay Dhanda in the presence of Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh, the agreement links product standardization directly with guaranteed public procurement channels. By embedding upcycled textile goods into routine supply channels for government offices and public institutions, the initiative aims to build institutional demand, promote sustainable resource management, and accelerate India's transition toward a circular economy.