CottonConnect, a pioneering social enterprise committed to transforming global textile supply chains through sustainability, farmer capacity building, and women’s empowerment, will soon launch a pilot project on Kasturi Cotton in western parts of the country (Gujarat or Maharashtra).
The London-based social enterprise is also looking forward to working on Suvin cotton—rated at par with the finest Egyptian cotton —in southern India, its CEO Alison Ward told businessline in an online interaction.
CottonConnect CEO Alison Ward
Kinner Lakhani, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Finance Officer of CottonConnect, said, “We held a meeting with Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh during Bharat Tex 2025 and discussed holding pilot projects on Kasturi Cotton with him. We are working towards that and will be collaborating with Cotton Corporation of India.”
Govt initiative
Kasturi Cotton is a government initiative to cultivate premium cotton with 100 per cent traceability and certification. CottonConnect has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian government for the promotion and adoption of Kasturi Cotton.
“After signing the MoU, we trained ginners along with the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (Texprocil) on the entire concept of Kasturi Cotton, how the fabric would turn out to be, and the quality parameters. We are undertaking a few more (such programmes) with 150-plus ginners now,” he told businessline in an online interaction along with CottonConnect CEO Alison Ward.
Kinner Lakhani, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Finance Officer, CottonConnect
Kasturi cotton has different length and parameters, stating from 27-28 mm and up to 34-35 mm. “The quality parameters are strict. Traceability is involved in this chain. It meets all the global standards, and different brands would source more,” said Lakhani.
Suvin enquiry
Ward said Kasturi Cotton has “powerful” quality control, and the brand is being talked about as well. “Rather than European Union regulation dictating, India could take control and explain its offerings and the parameters of its cotton. If the Agriculture and Textiles Ministries come together, Kasturi Cotton would emerge as a powerful brand,” she said.
Ward, who has a brand marketing background, said it takes time to build brands, but CottonConnect is “delighted” to be on the journey to make Kasturi Cotton a powerful brand.
The Cotton Connect CEO said the organisation had an enquiry from a brand about Suvin cotton. “A brand is interested in that again. So, because of the inquiry that has come, we are looking to do something for Suvin. We have worked in the sector, and we hope that we can follow through on this opportunity,” she said.
Essentially Indian
With Suvin being a fine cotton, it could be a really good story for Indian cotton as well. Currently, the volumes are small, but boutique brands are interested, she said.
Suvin cotton, one of the rarest and finest in the world, is an extra-long staple variety created by crossing Egyptian cotton “Sujata” with “St Vincent”. It was primarily grown in the Athur region in Salem, Tamil Nadu. However, the variety, bred by V Santhanam of Coimbatore-based Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, was shelved as inputs costs were higher and its yield lower.
Set up 15 years ago, CottonConnect, though headquartered in the UK, is essentially an Indian organisation, said Ward. “About 70 per cent of our people are in India, and all of our major functions – HR, operations and finance- are hosted out of India. I have only three people in the UK,” the organisation’s CEO said.
Lakhani said CottonConnect has a traceability platform called “TraceBale” which is farm-to-fork. “We can track cotton from the farmer at the village level, how it has moved at the ginner stage, how many bales are made, how the bales get converted into yarn and then into fabric and eventually to the brand. So the entire visibility of the supply chain is available for traceability and even for claims and regulations,” he said.
Sustainable textiles
At least 5.8 lakh farmers, who are provided the services free, have registered on TraceBale, which is linked globally. “But a majority, say 70 per cent, is from India. The remaining would be from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt and Turkey. The link is equivalent to 1.77 billion T-shirts,” he said.
Some 18 retailers are registered, and it traces about 5.9 lakh tonnes of line (pressed cotton). The traceability platform now has physical and digital features, including QR codes, DNA markers, the chain of custody and documents.
On sustainable textiles, Ward said the US is talking about and in India, the organisation was witnessing advances in the circular economy. “But I think we’re really beginning to see some innovation and I think that’s only going to continue over the next decade,” she said.
On the evolving global standards and guidelines, the CottonConnect CEO said a huge amount of lint and garments are being directly trace. “If you go to Primark, Carrefour or C&A, it will be organic. We will be able to tell where the cotton came from and if it’s Primark, we can tell you which farmer that cotton has come from,” said Ward.
Ginners code of conduct
Lakhani said Indian textiles companies are adopting HRDD (Human Rights Due Diligence) with branks seeking it. . “The adoptions need to increase further. We need to engage different stakeholders in the industry, brands, governments, the individual farmers or the supply chain stakeholders. Technology does help to capture a lot of data,” the COO and CFO said.
Ward said CottonConnect’s approach has not been one of audit. It has been working with ginners on a code of conduct developed by social experts and the organisation has taken it to other countries as well.
On regenerative practices, she said CottonConnect spent the past four years to understand what regenerative means for smallholders and has trained over 25,000 farmers. The organisation has reduced the use of pesticides, water and increased productivity. It is bringing in international experts as part of its two-way learning agenda to “advance the regenerative landscape in India”.
