New Landscapes India: Six small business partnerships selected for sustainable fashion, textiles and technology programme

Six UK and India SME partnerships will be awarded funding and specialist academic support under the New Landscapes India: Fashion, Textiles and Technology Research & Development Grant Scheme.

The scheme, a 3 year partnership between British Council India and UAL’s Fashion, Textiles and Technology Institute,will support sustainable and innovative R&D through collaborations between India and UK SMEs in the fashion and textiles industry.

Grants awarded under the New Landscapes India R&D Scheme will support designers, entrepreneurs and SMEs in the UK and India to deliver projects that nurture international cooperation and share good practice, and demonstrate the value of cultural, social, and environmental factors of fashion and textiles in both countries.

In the first year, six UK SMEs and their India partners will each receive £7,000 funding, specialist academic and business support and will work with FTTI and the British Council India on the ongoing delivery of sustainable fashion, textiles, and technology R&D projects to develop new concepts and prototypes.

The 6 New Landscapes India: FTTI R&D Grant Scheme partners and projects

Circular Design India, Esthetica, Iro Iro Zero Waste and The Right Project

R&D Focus: to establish a strategic data collection method that taps into various geographical, social, and economic diversities across India, to source and support trusted menders, small businesses, and informal workers in local community networks.
As the world looks for strategies to mitigate ecological, social, and economic crises, this project aims to address garment longevity and the volume of waste in landfill by integrating cultural practices with modern fashion consumption patterns. It aims to do so by connecting consumers with the large network of menders in India, building trust between communities and making repair more accessible.

@therightproject @iroirozerowaste @circulardesign_india

Kaskom Crafts India, Mila Clothing and Project Pico

R&D Focus: to improve the sustainability credentials of Project Pico’s existing range of organic cotton underwear by rethinking the design and components traditionally found in underwear. A prototype will be designed and developed using Kaskom Crafts spun desi cotton yarn, whilst keeping the product’s end of life and carbon footprint in mind. The R&D findings will be used to enable the team to establish a suitable and balanced approach towards product aesthetic, sustainable properties, functionality, durability, and financial viability of their underwear ranges in the future.

@pico.goods @project.pico @KASKOMCraftsIndia

Botto, The Stitch Archive and Vashishtha Luxury

R&D Focus: to undertake R&D using biomaterials to develop sustainable embroidery embellishments that can be authentically incorporated into the luxury fashion market.
This project will develop novel processing methods using local waste, such as agricultural waste from parts of Western India, to create embellishments that are kind to the environment through exploration of biomaterials. The aim is to develop uniquely beautiful, functional, cost-effective materials, stable enough to wash or to dry-clean and viable for the luxury industry.

@thestitcharchiveldn @vashishtha_luxury_fashion @Bottolabs

Conserve India, Khadi London, Khamir Crafts and Where Does It Come From?

R&D Focus: to incorporate circular economy principles into the handcrafted fabric (khadi) sector.
This collaborative project between Conserve India, Where Does It Come From?, Khadi London and Khamir, places emphasis on leveraging production using small scale machinery, promoting environmental conservation and social uplift. The project will address the growing textile waste problem in India by recycling waste fabrics back into usable yarns and integrating them into the khadi value chain.

@khadilondon @wheredoesitcome @conserveindia @khamircrafts

Centre for Pastoralism and Traceability Framework for Desi Oon (Indian Wool)

R&D Focus: to develop a traceability toolkit for the indigenous Indian and Scottish wool supply chains.
This resource will provide valuable data, insights and case studies, and a practical roadmap to building a robust Traceability Digital Application to be used in the context of Indigenous Indian communities as well as in small and large farm holding context of Scottish wool.

@centreforpastoralism

Post Carbon Lab and True Tone Pvt Ltd

R&D Focus: to connect the expertise of both UK and India partners in the facilitation of industrial scale up for microbial dyes.
The collaboration between Post Carbon Lab and True Tone Ink Pvt Ltd represents a dynamic partnership, fostering international knowledge exchange to develop sustainable, regenerative, and environmentally sustainable colours. The project offers an alternative to carbon-intensive, non-biodegradable and hazardous synthetic dyes and processes that use high volumes of water, traditionally used in textile and fashion industry.

@postcarbonlab @truetoneink @colorashram