We see possibilities and opportunities in every challenge – Vardhman Group

Vardhman Group, with its portfolio spreading across yarn, fabric, acrylic fibre, garments, special and alloys steel, has not only been a leader in its business space but also an active cheerleader of environment sustainability initiatives. As the company’s Vice Chairman and Managing Director Suchita Oswal Jain informs through this article, the desire to be sustainable has propelled it to think out of the box, ideate, innovate, and create something new and add value through all its processes

A leading Indian textile conglomerate, Vardhman Group is engaged in spinning yarn, weaving fabric, production of acrylic fibre, crafting of garments and manufacturing of special and alloy steels. For more than 50 years, the group has been delivering quality products to 75+ countries. Founded by late Ratan Chand Oswal and his son S P Oswal in 1965, Vardhman Group has been thriving under the leadership of Suchita Oswal Jain, a third-generation entrepreneur. The billion-dollar organisation is the largest vertically integrated textile manufacturer in the country, housing the largest installed spinning and weaving capacity of its kind. With 1.1 million spindles and 1,550 looms, the group annually manufactures 2,40,000 metric tons of yarn, 180 million metres of fabric, 22,000 tons of acrylic fibre and 1.8 million shirts.

The company is a leading manufacturer and exporter of cotton yarn and fabric, too, and operates through 18 state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities strategically located across India with a workforce of 27,500. It is also a company that places environment sustainability on its list of topmost priorities. “Global concern about the immediate and long-term impact of climate change is now increasing at a rapid pace. The subject is of significance for all since the change in environment impacts not just our lives but that of the future generations, biodiversity as also the entire planet,” says Suchita Oswal Jain, Vice Chairman and Joint Managing Director, Vardhman Group.

“The issue therefore needs to be addressed with utmost priority and collectively with the active participation of all the stakeholders, including businesses, governments and organisations as also the people. Development shouldn’t happen at the cost of our planet. We must create a world we can gladly bequeath to our future generations. Fortunately, we are making conscious choices and emphasizing on circularity, ethical fashion, responsible sourcing, greener processes, alternative energy and environment conservation. The textile industry is customer-oriented and governed by intense competition besides the demand for quick adaptability. In this dynamic industry, the scale and speed of change at times can overwhelm,” she adds.

“However, these are the very factors that propel you to think out of the box, ideate, innovate, create something new and add value. At Vardhman Group we see possibilities and opportunities in every challenge. We firmly believe that this dynamism, if channelized effectively, can lead to multi-faceted sustainable development. Sustainable development to us is much more than a principle of co-existence. We consider it to be development in the true sense. It is a broad umbrella encompassing everything related with the prosperity, fulfilment and development of the human race as also our planet. To imbibe sustainability at every level of the organisation, we follow a top-down approach,” Suchita adds.

From the top management down to the workers, each one is involved directly in improving the positive impact of the industry and minimising the carbon footprint. The emphasis is on reducing, reusing and recycling. Suggestions and observations from factory workers who have first-hand experience are embraced with open arms. Employees are encouraged to put forward their viewpoint to the management. The company also has dedicated groups to ideate, analyse and identify avenues of improvement. To bring its sustainability journey a full circle, these groups backed by dedicated technical teams primarily focus on minimising emissions, water conservation, energy conservation, development of eco-friendly products and processes and improving upon the social aspects. “With the goal of ‘greener textile manufacturing’, we are working towards ascertaining that our actions from innovation to operations are deeply rooted in sustainability,” Suchita states.

Being a Trust Protocol Member

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol has quantified the use of land, water and energy, besides its emphasis on reduction of water consumption, emissions, and so on. As a sustainability measure, this approach is highly progressive and ethical. It is inclusive with the Vardhman Group’s sustainability goals and aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Through these we aim to improve the multiple parameters of growth and define a clear path to do so,” Suchita says. Vardhman Group is a regular consumer of both U.S. cotton – MOT as well as PIMA. “We are catering to almost all major U.S. brands as supplier of cotton yarn, blended yarns and processed woven fabrics in India. Accordingly, keeping in view the unique features of U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, Vardhman Group has decided to join the program and avail the benefits,” she adds.