Surat Textile Expert Dr. Pankaj Gandhi to Lead National Textile Vision 2047 Conclave

SURAT: Surat’s textile industry is set to carry its sustainability and innovation message to a national platform as MANTRA Director Dr Pankaj Gandhi has been invited as Guest of Honour at the Textile Vision 2047 conclave in New Delhi on October 1.

Organised by Laghu Udyog Bharati at the India Habitat Centre, the conclave will bring together more than 500 textile entrepreneurs, policymakers and MSME leaders from across India.

Dr Gandhi will speak on “Sustainable Growth and Green Manufacturing: A Need of Today’s Era to Compete in the Global Market.” His participation highlights Surat’s growing role in man-made textiles, research, technical textiles and innovation.

“This is an important opportunity to take Surat’s textile story beyond manufacturing and showcase its growing strengths in research, innovation and sustainable production,” industry representatives said.

The programme will be chaired by Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh and Textile Commissioner Vrunda Manohar Desai.

The conclave will focus on global market access, free trade agreements, quality raw materials, green manufacturing, exports, regulatory reforms and MSME competitiveness.

For Surat, the event comes as the city’s large man-made fibre, yarn, weaving, processing and textile MSME ecosystem faces increasing pressure to adopt cleaner and more efficient technologies.

Dr Gandhi is expected to stress the need for textile businesses to combine sustainability with global competitiveness, particularly as international markets demand stronger environmental standards.

“Sustainability is no longer separate from competitiveness. Indian textile enterprises, especially MSMEs, need to adopt green technologies, improve resource efficiency and embrace innovation to remain competitive,” Dr Gandhi said.

The conclave’s theme, “From Local Excellence to Global Leadership,” also reflects Surat’s changing textile identity.

The city’s next phase of growth is expected to focus on recycling, circularity, energy and water efficiency, advanced materials and technical textiles.

Dr Gandhi’s participation will bring Surat’s industry and research experience into the national discussion on India’s textile roadmap to 2047.

The event is expected to provide a platform for Surat to position itself not only as a major textile manufacturing hub but also as a centre for sustainable and technology-driven textile innovation.