Sourcing today isn’t what it used to be. It’s no longer just a backend function that quietly keeps the wheels turning. It now sits at the centre of some of the biggest changes facing the fashion industry. Whether it is regulators asking for full supply chain transparency, consumers demanding more responsible products at competitive prices or investors closely tracking ESG metrics, the pressure is coming from all directions.
And the rules are changing fast. New laws like the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and the introduction of Digital Product Passports are raising the bar for everyone. What used to be brushed off as greenwashing is no longer just a reputational risk. It can now lead to real legal consequences.
In India, one of the world’s largest sourcing hubs, the conversation is also shifting. Brands can no longer stop at saying they are sustainable. They need to show it. Not through glossy reports or marketing claims, but through supply chain data, real progress on decarbonisation, consistency in practices and genuine engagement with suppliers. The days of performative compliance are fading. What’s taking its place are traceability tools, smarter material choices and new ways of working based on mutual accountability.
Of course, change comes with challenges. Sourcing teams are still expected to move fast, offer variety, manage volumes, reduce impact, stay compliant and somehow still protect margins. It is a tough balancing act. One that forces a rethink of how we choose materials, dye fabrics, structure factory workflows, sample, pack and even design for reuse and repair.
This is not just a supply chain problem. It is a shift in the entire business model. And at the heart of it lies a difficult but necessary question.
To explore this further, we spoke with Shantanu Singh (Regional Sourcing Operations Lead, C&A Sourcing); Kumar Prashant (Team Head – Apparel Sourcing, PUMA Group); Deepak Dsouza (Production Director – South West Asia, Decathlon Sports); Kushagra Bansal (Managing Director, KS Spinning Mills); and Mukesh Matta (VP – Sustainability, Pratibha Syntex) to find out if sourcing can really deliver on all fronts.
A 360-Degree Approach to Going Green
Kushagra Bansal: In recent years, sustainability has evolved from responsible sourcing to building a complete sustainable ecosystem. For us, it means tracking carbon footprints, using recycled poly and cotton and optimising waste. It’s also about making conscious choices, especially with blended fabrics, balancing sustainability with product quality and performance. Shifting from conventional practices to sustainable ones brings discomfort, both commercially and environmentally. Most retailers operate within familiar systems, so taking a different path requires a deliberate, and sometimes difficult, decision.
Kumar Prashant: From a brand perspective, we have used phases for our sustainability approach, with the first phase being to concentrate on the supply chain which was divided into fragments where we started with the social part, then the environmental and chemical part. Now the focus is on the material part. The future is the completion of entire circularity. Puma’s philosophy is to take care of each aspect of the supply chain. Sustainability is not a 2-3 year project, it goes on.
Mukesh Matta: Sustainability isn’t about dashboards. We have invested in water recycling and we have almost 30% of our power coming from the Rooftop Solar System. Then we have recently invested in a bio-based briquette boiler. On a day-to-day basis, we try to work on how to inculcate sustainability in each process.
Shantanu Singh: The real shift in the last 5 to 10 years has been moving from a risk management approach to one focused on capacity building. There is a new level of collaboration with supply chain partners. What was once just a checkbox is now a shared commitment. Raw material innovation continues and we constantly track evolving regulations. Adaptability is essential. Today, sustainability is fully embedded in our strategy. It is no longer optional, it is a core pillar guiding business decisions.
Deepak Dsouza: Sustainability has moved from being an intention to becoming a core part of strategy. Our first phase focused on identifying climate risks and meeting compliance. The second phase was about decarbonisation and developing eco-designed products using recycled materials and renewable energy. Now, we’re moving towards a closed-loop model—repairing products, enabling buyback schemes and selling second-hand items.
From Material Excess to Material Efficiency
Mukesh Matta: Brands rely on high volumes and variety to drive sales, offering multiple fits and colour options to attract consumers. But this focus on choice adds significant complexity, with each brand competing to stand out.
On the manufacturing side, this complexity leads to challenges, especially in processing. For example, we end up selling about 5 tonnes of surplus sample stock every quarter, value that’s mostly lost.
At one point, we discovered we were producing 20 different types of black. Our dye house manager noted that each required a unique recipe. Just one brand alone used 5-6 variations. We decided to streamline this to 3-4 shades and aligned with marketing to limit the options offered.
We also explained them that splitting orders across multiple blacks reduces order sizes, underutilises dyeing vessel capacity and increases water, chemical and sampling waste. Each sample requires at least 10 kg and leftover stock often goes unused.
To address this, we developed the Allure collection using low-impact dyeing techniques. By combining spun-dyed polyester with pre-dyed and fibre-dyed cotton, we reduced the environmental footprint. These shades are now offered in a replenishment model. These may seem like small steps, but they’re scalable and make a real difference.
Production inefficiencies also arise on the garment floor. With so many fits and styles, we try to pack 100% of each size and keep some buffer stock. However, this often results in excess inventory that cannot be sold due to strict brand policies. Some brands have started accepting mixed lots, but that too adds complexity and reduces efficiency on the shopfloor.
| “Sustainability isn’t about dashboards. We have invested in water recycling and we have almost 30% of our power coming from the Rooftop Solar System. Then we have recently invested in a bio-based briquette boiler. On a day-to-day basis, we try to work on how to inculcate sustainability in each process.” Mukesh Matta, VP-Sustainability, Pratibha Syntex |
Kushagra Bansal: When comparing a virgin product to a recycled one, it’s important to look at all the key performance indicators like resource use and environmental impact. Then you can decide if the small benefits and quality from the recycled product are worth it.
Many brands use only 25 to 30% recycled content, just enough to label the product as sustainable. In our case, we work with 100% recycled materials. To make that possible, we support recycled cotton by blending it with other man-made fibres, like sustainable cotton or recycled polyester. This gives the product the strength it needs to match a virgin product.
Pratibha reduced 20 black shades to 3-4. For us, colour consistency in recycled products is a big issue, so we stick to one black. But convincing brands to accept that is not always easy.
Traceability and Transparency
Deepak Dsouza: Decathlon has been sourcing from India for 25 years and we’ve seen major progress. Sustainability has moved from a ‘good to have’ to a ‘must-have’. There’s been a clear shift in supplier mindset, especially in cotton sourcing. Traceability has improved significantly, from farm to fibre, thanks to blockchain tools and greater transparency around farming practices.
But it’s not just about suppliers. We integrate sustainability from the product design stage itself, optimising material usage, colour and technical specs. We’ve made significant progress with raw materials like cotton and recycled polyester. The focus now is on improving manufacturing processes by reducing carbon emissions, water use and shifting to renewable energy.
Kumar Prashant: We’re making progress in traceability using digital tools, physical tracking and blockchain, which will improve transparency for consumers. With Europe making Digital Product Passports (DPP) mandatory from 2027, these steps will become even more important. However, in India, this shift isn’t happening much yet, especially with cotton. Man-made fibres (MMF) have made progress, but natural fibres still have a long way to go.
Shantanu Singh: Traceability is crucial. We’ve covered the basics and now have decent visibility across the supply chain, from where the garment is made to where the fabric, yarn and even the cotton come from. Most responsible retailers now follow a standard approach.
We’ve also focused a lot on raw materials. Through our partnership with Cotton Connect, we use a digital tracing platform that tracks cotton right from the ginner level. With traceability becoming more important, there’s a lot of innovation happening.
We recently partnered with Haelixa to use DNA marker tracing. This allows us to test a T-shirt and trace it back to the exact cotton source, as the marker is embedded in the cotton itself. We’re still in the early stages—just moved to bulk orders after a pilot—and we plan to scale it up.
Cost, Consumer Expectations and Scalability
Shantanu Singh: Customers want sustainable products at affordable prices, but sustainability comes at a cost. To reduce that impact, we focus on collaborations and partnerships to gain economies of scale. We also follow a Pull Model to manage inventory better and avoid overstocking or markdowns, which go against sustainability.
Supply chain agility is now essential. The old 120-day lead times no longer work. Speed is important, but fairness matters too.
Kumar Prashant: There’s an important question to ask: when you create a sustainable product, how much are you investing and is it really worth the money? From a brand’s point of view, to manage costs, they often speed up processes related to social, chemical and environmental compliance.
On the material side, about eight years ago, recycled polyester was much more expensive and the cost gap was significant. Today, it is priced similar to regular polyester and is widely available both globally and in India. Cost and speed will continue to evolve, but sustainability is not a short-term goal. It is a continuous process.
Deepak Dsouza: Customer expectations are higher than ever—they want high-quality, affordable products, delivered fast. But using recycled materials sometimes impacts durability. So the challenge is to balance sustainability without compromising quality. If a regular cotton T-shirt lasts 20 washes and a sustainable one lasts only 10, we have to ask: which is truly sustainable? It’s not just about process—it’s about the product’s end-life impact too!
