Spread across more than 2 lakh sq. ft., the three-day mega expo has brought together over 1,000 national and international brands, showcasing the latest collections in readymade garments for men, women, and children. Day Two saw packed exhibition halls, extensive buyer-seller interactions, product launches, and promising business negotiations, reinforcing the event’s position as one of Eastern India’s largest and most influential garment trade platforms. The event is expected to facilitate wholesale business transactions worth approximately ₹1,600 crore over its three-day duration.

Speaking to the media,  Sri. Arjun Ram Meghwal, Hon’ble Minister of State, Ministry of Law and Justice (Independent Charge), Govt of India, stated, “West Bengal is richly endowed with natural resources and possesses immense potential across various industrial sectors. Referring to the state’s once-thriving garment industry, he remarked that while Bengal had a glorious industrial past, unfavorable industrial policies of previous governments had led to industry migration instead of generating new employment. He expressed confidence that the state is now on the path towards a new industrial revolution with promising prospects for investment and job creation.”

On this occasion,  Sri. Dipak Barman, Hon’ble Minister of School Education, Housing and MSME and Textiles, Govt of WB, stated, “The future of the garment industry in the state is exceptionally bright. He noted that investors from across the country are showing keen interest in establishing medium and large-scale manufacturing units in Bengal. Responding to the Association’s long-standing demand, he assured that the state government would seriously consider the proposal for developing a dedicated Garment Hub.”

On this occasion, Sri. Hari Kishan Rathi, President of West Bengal Garment Manufacturers & Dealers Association, stated, “The response on the second day has been truly encouraging. The enthusiasm among buyers and exhibitors reflects the resilience and growing potential of India’s garment industry. This platform is not just about business transactions – it is about creating long-term partnerships, encouraging innovation, and providing opportunities for manufacturers and traders to expand into newer markets. We are grateful to all exhibitors, buyers, industry partners, and the Government for their continued support in making this landmark edition a grand success.”

The 60th Garment Buyers & Sellers Meet & B2B Expo will conclude on 14th July, 2026, reaffirming WBGMDA’s commitment to promoting the growth of the garment industry and contributing significantly to the economic development of West Bengal.

Welcoming the august gathering, Mr. R.K. Vij, Co-Chair, PHDCCI Textile Committee, Secretary General, PTAIA and National President, Textile Association of India, described the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) as a transformative initiative that has provided the industry with the momentum to accelerate innovation and manufacturing. While appreciating the Ministry of Textiles for its industry-friendly policies and collaborative approach, he urged the Government to address the GST inverted duty structure on man-made fibres and rationalize duties on key raw materials such as PTA and MEG to improve liquidity, enhance competitiveness and unlock the sector’s growth potential. He called for closer industry-government collaboration to position India not only as a global manufacturing hub but also as a global innovation leader in technical textiles.

Delivering the address the Chief Guest, Shri Pabitra Margherita, Hon’ble Minister of State for Textiles, Government of India, said that the growing focus on fitness, healthcare and sports through initiatives such as Khelo India, Fit India Movement and TOPS is creating unprecedented demand for high-performance sportech products. He highlighted that India’s technical textile exports have grown from ₹8,827 crore in FY 2013–14 to ₹28,392 crore in FY 2024–25, reflecting the sector’s strong global competitiveness. He further noted that under the National Technical Textiles Mission, more than 180 research projects have been approved to strengthen innovation and manufacturing, while the PLI Scheme for Textiles has attracted investments exceeding ₹5,500 crore. Reaffirming the Government’s vision of achieving USD 100 billion in textile exports and a USD 350 billion textile market by 2030, he called upon industry, academia and research institutions to work collectively towards making India a global leader in technical textiles under Viksit Bharat 2047.

The guest of honor Ms. Manisha Chatterjee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, emphasized that the National Technical Textiles Mission has now entered a phase of large-scale implementation, shifting the focus from research to commercialization. She highlighted initiatives such as the PRAMAN guidelines, strengthening of testing infrastructure, international standardization and targeted support for MSMEs to bridge the gap between laboratory innovations and market-ready products. She informed that six research projects and one start-up have already been approved under the Sportech segment of NTTM, while stressing that reducing import dependence in high-performance sports textiles presents a significant opportunity for Indian manufacturers.

Speaking as the conference, Dr. Harish K. Chatterjee, Director General, Wool Research Association, highlighted the convergence of technical textiles, electronics, smart sensors and data analytics in shaping the future of sportech. He said India possesses the right ecosystem to emerge as a global hub for high-performance sports textiles through its strong manufacturing base, expanding synthetic fibre ecosystem, growing start-up landscape and government support. He also highlighted the Association’s work in developing indigenous smart textile solutions, internationally accredited testing facilities, technology transfer, start-up incubation and sustainable innovations to strengthen India’s global competitiveness.

Mr. Debabrata Ghosh, Vice President & Sales Director, Barmag India Pvt. Ltd., highlighted India’s immense growth potential in the activewear and sportech segment, stating that the country’s activewear yarn market is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 10% between 2026 and 2035, significantly outpacing China. He observed that the India–UK Free Trade Agreement, supportive government policies and expanding textile infrastructure offer a significant opportunity for Indian manufacturers to become global suppliers of high-value technical textiles. Stressing the importance of advanced bi-component fibre technologies, he called for strengthening domestic manufacturing capabilities to reduce import dependence and establish India as a preferred sourcing destination in the global sportech value chain.

Concluding the inaugural session, Mr. Shantanu Agarwal, Co-Chair, PHDCCI Textile Committee & Joint Managing Director, Maral Overseas Ltd., expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Textiles, the National Technical Textiles Mission, the Wool Research Association, industry partners and stakeholders for their support in making the conference a success. He said the conference had evolved into a meaningful platform for policy dialogue, technology exchange and industry collaboration, urging participants to convert discussions into actionable partnerships that would accelerate the growth of India’s technical textiles sector.

The conference also featured engaging technical sessions on “Sportech Deep Dive,” “Sportech Value Chain: Sourcing, Standardization and Scaling,” “Scaling the Technical Textiles Ecosystem: Investment, Start-ups and Market Expansion,” and “From Import Dependence to Atmanirbhar Sports Manufacturing.” Alongside the conference, an exclusive Technology & Innovation Exhibition showcased breakthrough products, smart textiles, advanced manufacturing technologies, research-led innovations and promising start-ups, highlighting India’s rapidly evolving capabilities across the technical textiles value chain. The deliberations and exhibition together fostered meaningful collaboration among policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, investors, academia and entrepreneurs, reinforcing India’s commitment to innovation, self-reliance and global leadership in technical textiles under the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

The report notes that India generates around 7.25 million tonnes of textile waste annually, but a significant share remains underutilised due to fragmented collection systems, lack of standardised sorting and limited recycling capacity.

It estimates that nearly $9.4 billion (₹78,500 crore) of value is currently unrealised, largely due to inefficiencies across collection, sorting and recycling. Importantly, about 85% of this value lies in reuse pathways, which remain underdeveloped.

The report highlights that post-consumer textile waste systems are highly fragmented, with nearly 45% of waste not entering recovery pathways and instead being diverted to landfill or incineration.

A key bottleneck identified is sorting, described as the “value gate” of the textile waste ecosystem. However, over 95% of sorting in India is manual, with limited technology adoption and absence of a standardised grading framework.

The report also notes policy and infrastructure gaps, including the absence of a dedicated Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework for textiles, weak source segregation and inadequate traceability mechanisms.

On recycling, India’s ecosystem is dominated by mechanical processes, with limited chemical recycling capacity, constraining the ability to handle blended fabrics and scale circularity.

 To unlock the opportunity, the FICCI–RECEIC report recommends:
– A national EPR framework for textiles
– Investment in collection and sorting infrastructure
– Standardised grading and traceability systems
– Integration of informal sector workers
– Expansion of recycling capacity

While circular materials can significantly enhance supply chain resilience and reduce dependence on virgin resources, achieving this will require coordinated action across policy, industry, and infrastructure, the report noted.