The FY 2024–25 progress report covers the period from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, and primarily focuses on Shahi’s operations in India. 

Decisive Climate Action: A Major Shift in Energy

Shahi achieved significant milestones in its environmental journey this year. Driven by a crucial strategic decision to replace coal with sustainable biomass across its facilities. This move directly contributed to achieving a 51% carbon-neutral energy mix, up from 36% in the previous year, and surpassed internal targets earlier than projected.

Harish Ahuja, Managing Director and Chairperson, Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd., commented,

“Our transition from coal to sustainable biomass was a bold and necessary step, helping us achieve 51% carbon-neutral energy across the company, up from 36% just last year. This progress does not happen by chance. It is a result of detailed planning, relentless execution, and our firm belief that we can and must do better as we transition toward a more responsible energy future.”

Investing in People and Community Well-being

The company placed significant emphasis on social responsibility, delivering substantial progress in employee development, empowerment, and community engagement:

• Upskilling and Training: The organization provided over 1 million hours of employee training and delivered technical skills training to 75,000 women.
• Worker Health: More than 17,000 workers participated in the company’s health camps.
• Worker Voice: Shahi ensured 100% access to Inache, its digital worker-voice tool, enhancing workplace communication and transparency.
• Community Outreach: Initiatives dedicated to driving education, health, environment, employment, and empowerment outcomes in communities served over 475,000+ individuals.

Expanding Influence Through Collaboration

Recognizing that industry-wide change requires partnership, Shahi broadened its collaborative footprint this year:

• Industry Innovation: Shahi co-founded the Fashion Producers Collective, an initiative focused on supplier-led research to drive systemic improvements.
• Global Stewardship: The company continued its dedicated work within The Fashion Pact and further solidified its alignment with international governance standards by joining the OECD Advisory Group on Responsible Supply Chains and the Coalition for Reproductive Justice in Business under UNFPA.

As Shahi moves forward, its objective remains to drive people and planet-positive practices that secure long-term value for all stakeholders and establish new performance benchmarks for responsible manufacturing.

The post Shahi Exports Reports Ahead-of-Schedule Sustainability Progress appeared first on Shahi.

Today, the success of the Bengaluru MSC has highlighted the importance of providing comprehensive support for migrant workers. Shahi has since expanded the model in Bengaluru to offer services to migrants from Bihar and within Karnataka. Each center follows a scalable approach tailored to meet the specific needs of workers in different regions, ensuring that all workers have access to essential services beyond just their initial placement and housing.

“The centre was built on research and practical experience. It helped us understand what workers need beyond the basics, and we’ve taken those lessons to other regions.”

~Anant Ahuja, Director of ESG & Sustainability at Shahi

The Beginning: Research-Based Solutions to Complex Needs

Migrant workers are likely to face isolation, lack of access to services, and uncertainty in unfamiliar environments. High turnover rates — sometimes exceeding 75% annually in factories — have been traced to the emotional and social difficulties workers face after migrating. This instability has both social and business costs, disrupts productivity, and leads to additional costs for hiring and training.

“I came to Bangalore with one intention, which is to earn enough money for a health procedure that I had to undertake. When one leaves their family to come to a bigger city, it leaves one feeling very uncomfortable,”

~ said Sana, who moved from Bagalkot (a district in the state of Karnataka, India) to Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Evidently, the reality of adjusting to an unfamiliar city without a support network became overwhelming. 

Recognizing these challenges, the MSC was designed through deep research and fieldwork, in collaboration with partners like Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS), Sanjeevini – Karnataka State Rural Livelihood Mission, and Bihar State Livelihood Mission (Jeevika). 

By understanding workers’ holistic needs — beyond job placement and housing — the MSC created a model that could tackle the root causes of worker attrition and discontent.

A pilot program paired new workers with experienced colleagues to offer social and emotional support during their transition into the workplace. Among 500 workers, this approach led to a 5.3% reduction in depression, a 5.9% decrease in anxiety, and a 12% increase in productivity. The success of this affordable and scalable model helped shape the design of a larger initiative, which integrated structured peer support as a core strategy.

“Our research highlights the lack of social network as an important barrier to female migrant worker well-being and performance at workplace. That insight led to the Buddy System—a program pairing migrant workers with their peers from shared cultural backgrounds to build connection, support, and belonging. This simple, low-cost model improved mental health and boosted productivity, proving that investing in worker well-being isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s good business.”

– Smit Gade, Director, Data and Reseach, Good Business Lab

Additionally, through a collaboration with YourDOST, Shahi provided workers in the MSC access to professional counseling. Between 2023 and 2024, over 3,000 Shahi workers engaged with YourDOST, attending 620 counseling sessions. Major concerns, including self-confidence, work-related stress, and interpersonal conflicts, were addressed through counseling.

Comprehensive Support for Transition and Stability

Since 2021, the MSC has played a crucial role in addressing the diverse needs of migrant workers and facilitating their smooth transition into urban life. It has provided essential services, including legal aid, financial literacy workshops, and assistance in obtaining critical identity documents, such as Aadhaar and ration cards. These documents are vital for accessing healthcare, banking, and government services, enabling workers to integrate more effectively into their new environments. During the pandemic, the MSC ensured access to vaccination and maintained a safe working environment, enabling workers to continue their jobs with confidence.

“At the MSC, we live like a big family. If one of us faces any problems, we receive support. We are also taught how to interact with people, how to spend our money, and save it. If we face any health issues too, we are supported just like a family,” adds Sana, describing the role of MSCs in the lives of migrants like her.

What’s Next? Taking Factories to Rural Areas

MSCs have been instrumental in supporting migrant workers. Shahi’s long-term goal is to balance the need for migration by creating job opportunities closer to workers’ homes. In recent years, Shahi has focused on establishing factories in rural and semi-urban areas, allowing workers to remain close to their families while accessing stable employment.

“Our goal is to bring employment opportunities to rural areas by setting up factories. This not only improves access to jobs but also reduces the need for workers to migrate to metropolitan cities.”, says Anant Ahuja.

Conclusion: A Holistic Approach to Worker Well-being

Three years since its inception, the Migrant Support Centers have created a strong foundation for supporting migrant workers as they navigate new environments. What began as an effort to provide training and housing has evolved into a comprehensive system of care that ensures workers are supported in every aspect of their transition to urban life.

“The MSCs have played a crucial role in helping workers succeed. And as we continue to expand, we will build on these insights to ensure that our workers have the resources they need to thrive.”

~Chitra Prasad, Senior General Manager, Organizational Development

As Shahi continues to grow, the MSCs will remain a vital part of the company’s worker well-being strategy, ensuring that migrant workers are supported at work and in life.

The post Three years into running the Migrant Support Center: What’s New? appeared first on Shahi.

This year, we have deepened our dedication to sustainable practices for both people and the planet. We’re advancing environmentally conscious actions across our operations to ensure a circular value chain. 

Anant Ahuja, Director of ESG and Sustainability at Shahi Exports, said,

“The Sustainability Report has allowed us to track our progress more closely and reflect on both our immediate and long-term strategies. Many of the sustainability challenges the industry faces require innovative solutions, and the data in this report enable us to better understand where to accelerate our innovation efforts and where we are making measurable progress.”

Key highlights from the report: 

TO ADAPT:

Our journey of adaptation aligns with industry shifts and environmental sensitivities, leading to strategic enhancements in governance and operations: 

• Established a dedicated governance team in FY 2023-24 to uphold accountability. 
• Partnering with next-gen material and dry processing innovators. We ensured that 50% of the materials we use fall under the sustainable category. 
• Adapted to the evolving legislative landscape as our Knits Processing Division became one of India’s first mills to undergo the Yarn Ethically and Sustainably Sourced Assessment. 
• Scaling our flagship digitization project, ‘Trakwel’, across factories.  

TO IMPACT:

Our efforts aim to create a positive impact on our workforce, communities, and the planet. In FY 2023-24, we implemented key initiatives to enhance sustainability and social responsibility, achieving meaningful outcomes: 

People: 

• Achieved 106% of our STITCH program supervisor training goal.
• Reached 106% of our goal to train women in Gap Inc. P.A.C.E.
• Surpassed training goals with 110% completion in BSafe- Grievance Redressal Mechanism awareness. 
• Reached 98% of skill development targets with local communities. 
• Reached 20,590 mothers and children under our Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition services, meeting 137% of our goal. 
• Introduced EWASE (Empowering Women at Shahi Exports) to champion gender equality and support women in advancing to leadership roles.  

Planet:

• Achieved 100% coal phase-out in one of our mills. 
• Scored 68.92% of verified Higg FEM Index Version 4.0 score against a global avg of 48.08%. 
• Achieved 78% recycled water usage for industrial purposes in our textile mills
• 100% of the dyes and auxiliaries used in our production processes are ZDHC MRSL compliant.
• Achieved a CDP score of ‘B’ compared to the global average of ‘C’. 

TO INSPIRE:

A key objective is to inspire industry-wide change and elevate standards for environmental and social responsibility. To advance this goal, we’ve partnered with leading organizations:

• Fashion Pact: Serving on the Fashion Pact Steering Committee, we engage and collaborate on critical industry and environmental issues. This helps us share a supply chain partner’s perspective and learn from the industry’s best practices.
• Transformer’s Foundation: Collaborated with The Transformers Foundation and peers like Epic Group, Simple Approach, and Norlanka to create An Apparel Supplier’s Guide to Key Sustainability Legislation, outlining 12 upcoming laws in the US, UK, and EU.
• Fashion Producer’s Collective: Serving on the Producer Committee to amplify producer voices, share knowledge, and drive sustainable fashion leadership. 
• International Apparel Federation: Joined the federation to strengthen sustainable supply chains, industry standardization, and inclusive solutions. 

Harish Ahuja, Managing Director and Chairperson of Shahi Exports, said,

“As we enter our 50th year, we’re excited about what lies ahead. Our roadmap focuses on diversifying our product portfolio, prioritizing sustainability, and investing in our people. We look toward a more circular future as we remain steadfast in our role as catalysts for change.”

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“The program emerged to elevate leadership competence in organizational settings. The primary objective was to foster a democratic approach to mapping and executing work, emphasizing clear communication, team fortification, and the ability to inspire and motivate teams across our operations.”

Deepak Rautela, Associate Vice President, Organizational Development

The challenge: Designing an Effective Leadership Program 

Challenge #1 

The garment industry is highly competitive and demands time-bound delivery. Middle managers, whether on the shop floor or in a corporate set-up, face unprecedented challenges while ensuring timely planning and implementation of their key results. They are also the next in line to lead in their roles, making their development at their current level crucial to retention.

Challenge #2

Training is often perceived as a considerable investment away from work. Our Organizational Development team explored a range of formats. Initial approaches centered around one or two-day open programs, with brief interventions in the form of workshops or training sessions. These programs primarily served as awareness initiatives to address specific topics identified based on organizational needs and goals. 

“The condensed format aimed at providing a snapshot of training within a day. However, identifying the limitations of this brief model, which often resulted in lower retention rates and lacked sustained impact, we transitioned to the PULSE program.”

Bhagyashree Rao, Trainer, Organizational Development 

The Sweet Spot: Key Skills and Value for Time

The modules target key competencies such as:

1. Preparedness to take up higher responsibilities and more prominent roles.
2. Authentic leadership and people management 
3. Effectiveness in planning and operational alignment
4. Clear communication and line of sight
5. Decision-making and problem-solving
6. Higher performance, ownership, and proactivity 
7. Building strong teams
8. Better relationships & collaboration at work

Infusing Feedback: What sets PULSE apart

PULSE goes beyond imparting skills, tools, and essential leadership habits. It integrates interactive methods such as motivational videos and real-life examples. The overarching goal is to instill the ability to create and sustain an authentic culture where organizational values seamlessly align with the vision, fostering a win-win situation for all involved. 

Reflecting on the training experience, Manoj Mendiratta, GM, Marketing, Ladies Speacialty Division, said, “One of the highlights is redefining the meaning of ‘Feedback’ – shifting from a mere focus on ‘Points to Improve’ to understanding it as a combination of reinforcing positive aspects and identifying paths for improvement.”

The feedback and review process is structured, involving daily reviews focusing on individual improvement, behavior, and feedback mechanisms. Regular coaching and internal, periodic, and final reviews provide a comprehensive understanding of participants’ growth. 

Impact 

Enabling the participants to navigate challenges with resilience and determination, the pulse program empowers individuals and teams to take ownership of their actions. It cultivates effective habits, positive self-esteem, values, and emotional intelligence, all of which are pivotal in fostering success on both personal and professional fronts.

“One of my key takeaways from the program was ‘CARRY YOUR OWN WEATHER’, which has proven to be an incredibly powerful statement. It has allowed me to be self-reliant and maintain a positive attitude, regardless of external factors. By staying optimistic and focused on solutions, even during challenging times, I can inspire my team members to do the same and work together towards achieving our goals.” 

Garima Sharma, GM – Marketing at LSD

Further, Shahi recognizes the significance of training and operational excellence, which is evident in the training of 455 leaders through PULSE. We successfully achieved 91% of our senior management training goal, delivering a total of 13,637 hours of training through the program.

This detailed approach extends with post-training interventions like individual development plans even after program completion. Certification serves as a reminder for trainees to sustain their acquired changes and learning. This underscores the objective of maximizing learning retention and sustaining development, guaranteeing a lasting impact on participants’ professional growth.

The Road Ahead

The vision for PULSE is to develop a foundational platform for succession planning, which will play a pivotal role in identifying high-potential leaders within the system. 

Succession planning is a strategic imperative for forward-thinking industries and an essential process of identifying and developing organizational talent. This ensures smooth transitions in key leadership roles. PULSE graduates can seamlessly fill key roles when incumbents transition due to retirement, promotion, or unforeseen circumstances.  

Jayati Kak, DMM, Marketing, LSD, finds inspiration from her PULSE journey and shares her vision, 

“I certainly look forward to additional training programs that facilitate the professional development of both myself and my team, extending beyond conventional “On-the-job” technical learning experiences.” 

Jayati Kak, DMM, Marketing, LSD

The long-term goals are to drive retention, uphold organizational values, and sustain a positive culture. PULSE is a critical element in this process, emphasizing that worker training initiatives may prove futile if leadership is not aligned to embrace new concepts. PULSE’s feedback component helps achieve that alignment, creating value in upgraded skills and concepts for the organization’s overall success and growth.

As industries navigate a dynamic and competitive landscape, succession planning emerges as a proactive measure, stimulating continuity, bolstering resilience, and attracting top talent to drive future success. By leveraging PULSE, we proactively prepare for leadership transitions, mitigating risks associated with talent gaps and ensuring smooth organizational progression.

“The program successfully meets the organization’s goals, contributing to overall achievement through effective training. I believe expanding the scope of our training program to include more managers at the mid-management level, such as assistant managers and  factory floor managers, developing a mindset that aligns with site requirements and fosters growth.”

Sujeet, Operation Head, E10

Our target is to train 500 leaders under PULSE by 2025.

Through PULSE, Shahi is not just charting a growth path for its people but also grooming future leaders. In a world where leadership is a driving force behind success, PULSE stands as a beacon of inspiration, guiding upcoming leaders to transcend boundaries and lead with integrity, empathy, and effectiveness. 

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“There was a school in my village, Chiknallie, opposite my house. For almost seven years, I served as a teacher there,” Rathnamma said; her eyes sparkled, and a wide smile embraced her face. 

Rathnamma, a resilient and determined individual hailing from Pandavapura, Mysore, has a story that embodies perseverance and adaptability within the backdrop of a close-knit, rural community. She has remained a valued member at Shahi in Mysore for four years.

The sparkle turned into a determined fire when asked why she moved to Srirangapatna. She has a singular goal,

“So that my children can have a good education. I am passionate about ensuring my kids receive a good education.” 

She joined Shahi as a tailor and was enrolled in the Gap Inc. P.A.C.E. Program. 

“When I was first introduced to the Gap Inc. P.A.C.E program, a group of us humorously mistook it as the FACE program. I was puzzled, wondering what they would teach us about faces and related topics,” she chuckled. Designed to support career and personal life development, the program unveiled new perspectives and insights.

“It helped me see things from a different perspective and highlighted areas where improvements could be made. I also learned how to approach my responsibilities at work and within my family.” Rathnamma’s growth, adaptability, and pride are evident.

In 2021, Rathnamma became Captain in the cutting department. She proudly says,

“It was recognized that I possessed leadership qualities and the ability to manage and lead a group of people effectively.”

But, her desire to learn led her to sign up for STITCH. A takeaway for Rathnamma was how to motivate her colleagues on a fast-paced factory floor. Her approach is “grounded and empathetic.”

“Before they begin working on the machine, I make it a point to call them in advance,” she explains. Her proactive guidance ensures smooth transitions for her team from one style to another.

Her dedication to her work and community is evident in her election as a committee member. Currently, she serves as an EHS committee member, focusing on the well-being and safety of her fellow workers.

“If I could speak to my younger self, I would convey a message of resilience and pride. I would tell my younger self that she once may have felt confined like a frog in a well but broke free of those limitations.”

Rathnamma pursued her dreams, acquired new skills through hard work, and emerged as a leader, all while remaining deeply committed to her family and community.

The post From Stitching Threads to Weaving Success      appeared first on Shahi.

Anant Ahuja, Head of ESG at Shahi Exports, said, “The past year has marked significant shifts in the narrative, perspective, and business of sustainability in fashion. As the industry evolves, Shahi remains committed to conducting our business in a way that reduces negative impact and maximizes the positive impact on our people and the planet. The Sustainability Report is an important tool in helping us track our progress and identify areas where we can make further improvements. The data and insights reported over the past two years have been invaluable in helping us develop more strategies aligned with long-term thinking on our growth journey.” 

Key highlights of the report:

Shahi has moved the needle on Planet targets by: 

1. Increasing renewable energy capacity to 92.5MW brings it closer to 100% renewable electricity goal by 2026. 
2. This year, Shahi phased out coal from garment factories and continue to work on coal elimination in mills. 
3. Achieved Higg FEM verified average score of 78.05%, compared to the global average of 59.67%.

Shahi’s efforts have not gone unnoticed, and have received several international and national awards for the commitment to environmental stewardship, like the International Green Apple Environment Award by The Green Organization and the Excellence in Performance Award by The Confederation of Indian Industry under the ground-mounted solar category.

On the People front: 

1. Shahi has invested 1.2 million hours in upskilling its employees in behavioral & technical skills. 
2. The company continued to invest in soft skills training for women through the Gap Inc. PA.C.E. program, reaching 86,000+ women since 2007 and completing 96% of 2024 training target.
3. It partnered with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to support migrant workers and launched the YESS: Yarn Ethically and Sustainably Sourced program to mitigate the risk of forced labor in supply chain. 

Harish Ahuja, Managing Director and Chairperson of Shahi Exports said, “Over the years, Shahi has always demonstrated a deeper understanding of the changing landscape of our environment and the role that sustainability as a concept plays in this shift. As Shahi turns 50 next year, we believe sustainability efforts will increasingly underpin our success and drive industry-wide transformation. We will continue in the spirit of collaboration, share our best practices, and advocate for collective action.”

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The G20 EMPOWER initiative, short for the G20 Alliance for the Empowerment and Progression of Women’s Economic Representation, is a global movement with a clear vision—to be the most inclusive and action-driven alliance among businesses and governments, accelerating women’s leadership and empowerment across G20 countries. It’s an ambitious endeavor is dedicated to advancing women’s roles in the private sector and achieving gender equality.

G20 Empower’s Best Practices Playbook

One of the outcomes of the G20 Empower initiative is the Best Practices Playbook. This valuable resource compiles best practices from organizations across G20 countries and invited nations. It focuses on four key areas:

• Measuring to Improve
• Building and Nourishing an Efficient and Sustainable Women Talent Pipeline
• Enabling Women to Lead the Future
• Supporting Women Entrepreneurs & Leaders at the Local Level

This year, a new focus area, ‘Supporting Women Entrepreneurs & Leaders at the Local Level,’ has been added, strengthening the commitment of both the private and public sectors to women’s advancement.

The Playbook features the best practices of 151 organizations across 19 G20 countries and invited nations. It’s a testament to the collective efforts of these organizations to advance women’s leadership and empowerment.

Leading the way: Shahi’s Best Practices

Shahi has heavily invested in studying the impact women’s empowerment can have on businesses.

Our collaboration with GAP Inc, piloted the P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement) training program in 2007. This program offers comprehensive curriculum-based training, focusing on managerial, interpersonal, organizational, and practical skills. It’s designed to empower women not just in their careers but in their lives.

The program extends its impact beyond the workplace, sensitizing supervisors, factory staff, and even family members of garment workers. It creates a supportive environment that empowers women to apply their newly acquired skills, helping them break down the barriers to personal and professional growth.

Our company has established over 80 training centers in collaboration with public-private partnerships, creating employment opportunities and serving as a vital stepping stone for economic progress. These centers offer comprehensive training, including the GAP Inc. P.A.C.E. program, as a standard part of their curriculum. Shahi has already trained 74,000 female workers through the GAP Inc P.A.C.E. program, with a goal to benefit 90,000 workers by 2024.

Through relentless research and innovation, Shahi has introduced transformative training initiatives like the STITCH program tailored for supervisors. This soft skills training program enhances their capabilities in self-reflection, making them more effective leaders and team members.

Advocating for Empowerment

Earlier this year, Anant Ahuja, Head of Organizational Development at Shahi, joined the G20 Empower Alliance as an Advocate. Reinforcing the company’s commitment to women’s advancement and carrying forward Shahi’s legacy of building financial independence, providing access to health awareness, and enhancing soft skills for women.

“Empowering women is essential to the goal of gender equality and equity,” says Anant Ahuja. He reflects on Shahi’s history, founded by his grandmother, Sarla Ahuja, with a vision to provide independent income to women.

Through the G20 Empower Alliance, Shahi has become part of a global community of like-minded leaders dedicated to the advancement and empowerment of women. Anant Ahuja’s words resonate: “We hope to make the experience of scaling new heights for women even better, more satisfying, and rewarding.”

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SLCP is a non-profit multi-stakeholder initiative that aims to eliminate audit fatigue in global supply chains. It does not set benchmarks for compliance. Instead, it provides a framework that ensures the effective collection of about 3,000 data points. So instead of conducting an audit for each brand, facilities can do a single audit, which is then verified by a single agency. This increases transparency in supply chains, reduces the need for social audits, and ultimately allows users to redeploy resources to improve working conditions.

Brands can access these data sets from a host platform and rate facilities according to their own standards. The uploaded data can be accessed from the host platform by the brands and rated according to their own standards.

“We envision a future where all our factories will only be doing a single SLCP audit and verification every year. Suppliers can only realize reduced audit fatigue when more and more brands adopt SLCP. Brands have the potential to drive convergence. With SLCP brands can help empower suppliers to invest more time and resources in sustainability and worker wellbeing.”

— Anant Ahuja, Head, Organizational Development

Srinivasa Rao Venkatesh, Chief Compliance Officer, and Gauri Sharma, Senior Manager, Organizational Development, serve as members of SLCP’s Converged Assessment Framework and the Communications and Stakeholder Engagement technical advisory committees. Their involvement helps SLCP align better with industry requirements, especially for manufacturers.

So far, 80% of our factories at Shahi have adopted SLCP, and we are working towards aligning a 100% by 2025.

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Does waste equal food? In the pre-industrialized economy, products had a natural biological cycle where the inputs naturally decomposed and served as nutrients for the planet. Products made out of metal were refurbished to make new ones. All the inputs derived from Earth ideally should go back to it. But, today, does waste still equal food for the planet? How do we envision growth in today’s world while prioritizing the environment? Is there a way we can manufacture products aligning with the growing population and their lifestyle choices without harming the environment, in fact, by nurturing it?

On asking a few people about what Cradle to Cradle is, I received a myriad of answers. Someone said it is probably a place where a baby sleeps. Some others hit it a little closer: a process for people to know how a product is truly made; a benchmark for sustainable products; and a design philosophy that genuinely outlines the lifecycle of a product focusing on the recycling mechanisms. 

Anant Ahuja, Head of Organizational Development at Shahi, says, 

“Cradle to Cradle represents a way to make products that are in tune with nature and manufactured sustainably. The resources that are required to manufacture must be replenished and extracted ethically. You can imagine a world where we can produce as much as we want, and the reason we can do it is due to the positive impact and the life cycle of the product. We turn the waste into fuel.”

The Concept

Cradle to Cradle is a revolutionary design concept integrating two distinct fields —  design and science to achieve a high level of sustainability. By focusing on doing ‘more good than less bad,’ Cradle to Cradle Certified® products create a positive ecological impact rather than simply minimizing their environmental footprint. The goal is not just to substitute harmful chemicals and other raw materials with more sustainable alternatives but also to rethink the lifecycle of products — from design to disintegration. The emphasis is on increasing durability. Once disintegrated, the value of the materials used in production is not lost but rather preserved and brought back to the loop.

Every raw material used counts. Each material holds immense value and should not end in a grave. 

Five different aspects measure the holistic development of a Cradle to Cradle Certified® product: material health and re-utilization, renewable energy, carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness. Each of these is given an achievement level based on the guidelines ranging from Bronze to Platinum. The products based on these principles can range from buildings and construction materials to cosmetics and textiles. 

‘Arth,’ what does it mean?

In late 2018, Shahi was presented with an opportunity to become India’s first woven apparel and textiles manufacturer to create Cradle to Cradle Certified® products with our ‘Arth’ collection in partnership with C&A. 

Arth symbolizes our responsibility towards the planet in a quest to find meaning behind ‘doing more good than less bad.’ Shahi received the Gold achievement level owing to its holistic performance on the parameters set by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. Everything that comes from the Earth must return to it. 

“The concept of Cradle to Cradle presents an opportunity to present our commitment towards circularity: everything that we utilize goes back safely to the environment. It was a pioneering step to add such product manufacturing capability to our organization.  The dress (product) has motivated us to explore better raw materials and technologies; as it is also backed by a continuous improvement principle along with zero environmental impact and elimination of waste generation concept. We hope that we continue to work on exciting and innovative projects such as this one with our other stakeholders.”

– Rajneesh Rai, General Manager, Environmental Sustainability and Laboratory.

In this article, we share our learnings, insights, and the benefits, and opportunities for building our first Cradle to Cradle Certified® product by looking at the overall product development, materials, resources, social fairness, and the way forward.

Rethinking product development

Our product’s design and production processes are based on a circular economy model. At the end of its lifecycle, a  Cradle to Cradle Certified® product is returned to the biosphere either as compost or reprocessed to make new products. Here is how we took on the opportunity to change our production pattern for this collection.

Design

Designing a Cradle to Cradle Certified® product demands many resources, dedication, perseverance, and openness to explore new areas. It took us more than 18 months from the inception of the product to deliver to our brand partner  C&A. This period also includes the certification process for our facilities. The process has been significantly different from any other product we have manufactured. The changes in the processes also made us appreciate the speed of adaptation and the appetite for innovation at Shahi.

When we started designing the product from scratch, our progress was slow due to the lack of knowledge and resources available, coupled with the nationwide lockdown in early 2020. We began with a series of questions on which resources and techniques can be used in a Cradle to Cradle Certified® dress. They revolved around printing over the product, label of the garment, and use of Cradle to Cradle Certified® raw materials such as buttons and thread. The journey was made more accessible and collaborative with active involvement from C&A and the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. 

The Arth collection sports a relaxed mid-length dress with buttons made from natural coconut, which breaks down with a biological cycle. The dress made us go back to the basics of designing. The boundaries put on using certain chemicals, dyes, and trimmings helped us become more innovative in constructing the Cradle to Cradle Certified® dress.

The ideation process required us to extend our imagination beyond the aesthetics of the design. We emphasize how easily the product can be disintegrated and put back in the cycle without losing any value. Keeping in mind the core principle of Cradle to Cradle Certified®, the focus has been to balance the dress’s design and durability. For this reason, the dress has a clean finish with minimum accessories. 

Sona Mishra, the designer who developed the dress, says, “To make a Cradle to Cradle Certified® product, you must go back to your basics: silhouettes, minimal accessorization, and use of Cradle to Cradle Certified® raw materials, dyes, and auxiliaries. We were really able to bring out the essence of a truly circular product with this process.” 

Material

The fabric was made at our state-of-the-art Woven Processing Division (WPD) in Shimoga using 100% Global Organic Textile Standard certified organic cotton. More than 96% of this cotton is rapidly renewable, and 86% of the water used in the fabric processing was recycled. The finished products are 100% carbon neutral and recyclable. The brand tag on the products was designed in-house using recyclable materials and procured from a verified vendor.

The Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard lists restricted chemicals to avoid while manufacturing the products. An official Restricted Substance List indicates the maximum concentration of each restricted substance allowed in the products. 

The material health and re-utilization category ensure that Cradle to Cradle Certified® products uses chemicals that are: 

• Safe for society and the planet.
• It can be further recycled or bio-degraded through biological and technical cycles. 

To avoid contamination with other chemicals, we diligently cleaned all the machines and equipment to be used to produce the

Arth collection. The production lines were separated and clearly marked for Cradle to Cradle Certified® production. We used alternative chemicals accepted under the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute guidelines.

Making a Cradle to Cradle Certified® product definitely demands more investment in raw materials. The key is to find the right blend that synchronizes together. Due to limitations in using chemicals for dyeing, we went ahead with two basic shades for the fabric: Black and Henna. evaluated the Material Health Certificate for products that adhere to restricted substances.

The material chemistry was independently assessed by MBDC Laboratory, USA on restricted substances and impacts on human health and the environment.

Our product developers, designers, and the environment team spent several months inventorying, assessing, and optimizing the material chemistry to achieve the platinum standard on material health and material re-utilization category. A platinum standard implies a material re-utilization score of 100, and the product is actively being recovered by a technical or biological mechanism. 

The Footprint

The Cradle to Cradle design principle ensures that the products utilize renewable energy to minimize the release of greenhouse gasses along with efficient use of water during manufacturing. Shahi achieved the gold standard under Renewable Energy and Carbon Management and the platinum standard under Water Stewardship.

A significant factor in achieving this standard has been the state-of-art machinery available at the Wovens Processing Division that optimizes resource consumption throughout the entire process. The garments were made in two units (Unit 9 and 28) that successfully qualified the environmental and social requirements as laid down by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.

Energy

The Wovens Processing Division facility in Shimoga runs on the power produced by our solar grid in Bellary, allowing us access to 96% renewable energy during the production process. 

Water
The fabric was made in our processing mill, a Zero Liquid Discharge Facility.

Carbon Emissions

Cradle to Cradle certification, in many ways, is a step towards transparency. Accounting for the entire production process to make an authentic carbon neutral product, we purchased carbon credits to balance out the emissions for our boiler and garmenting units which now operate on renewable energy. 

Labor and Social Fairness

At Shahi, worker wellbeing is of utmost importance. Worker wellbeing focuses not just on providing a safe and healthy environment but also on creating opportunities for their growth. Shahi was the first manufacturer to co-create and pilot Gap Inc.’s P.A.C.E. program. Inspired by the immense power of the program, Shahi co-developed STITCH with  Good Business Lab to enhance the core competencies and capacities of the supervisor to manage their key roles effectively. Our homegrown tool, Inache, is another example of our commitment to ensuring a healthy work environment by enabling workers’ voices. Inache is an anonymous two-way communication platform where workers can call or send an SMS about their complaints, grievances, suggestions, or questions. It goes to a central dashboard and then to the designated factory staff for response and resolution. It assists us in continuously monitoring and improving the grievance redressal system that facilitates transparency and a connection between the management and the workers. 

These initiatives contributed to our achievement of the gold standard in the social fairness category. 

Fair working conditions and respectful treatment of workers go hand in hand with any sustainable and circular venture. The Cradle to Cradle 4.0’s social fairness standards has emphasized ensuring a safe and conducive work environment. The broader focus areas include sound infrastructural arrangements, community engagements, and career growth. These parameters encourage responsible business practices and strong ethics across all stakeholders involved in the supply chain. Social fairness is analyzed under five distinct parameters: Management, Human Rights, Labor, Environment, and Anti-corruption at the facilities.

Building sustained relationships 

C&A’s support and eagerness to collaborate in creating this collection revealed how important the role of brands as strategic partners in this effort to transition into a circular economy is. The Global Sourcing and Sustainability team at C&A said,

“Shahi continues to be a steadfast strategic partner for C&A and a driving force for innovation across the global fashion supply chain. When we began bringing Cradle to Cradle Certified® products to market, it was clear that Shahi would be a key partner in scaling Cradle to Cradle across categories. For a product and supply chain to become Cradle to Cradle Certified®, it takes an incredible amount of detail and commitment. However, it takes supply chain partners with a deep understanding of sustainability, innovation, and their importance to customers, brands, and suppliers. Shahi is a leading supplier in this regard, and we are deeply grateful for their continued partnership in driving circular innovation. We look forward to working together to drive to Cradle Certified® innovations and other ground-breaking sustainability initiatives forward.”

Shahi possesses the flexibility to direct resources in testing and refining sustainable and circular products. This allows for a co-creative space for research-based collaboration between brands and suppliers that holds the potential to drive change in the apparel and textiles industry.

Doing more good than less harm

The Arth collection has provided us with lots of learnings. The most crucial is that developing circular products at scale is possible. The need of the hour, is to encourage more conversations and awareness around Cradle to Cradle Certified® products. The demand for such a product must be established from a strategic point of view to build a circular economy collaboratively. Brands and customers form an essential part of driving this demand.

Shahi is looking forward to working with more and more brands on Cradle to Cradle Certified® products and getting closer to bettering our environment and production methods with each step. Its design principles enable a supplier like us to create products while nurturing the planet— doing more good than less harm. With our certified mill, we hope to collaborate with more and more sustainability-driven brands to create products that preserve their value. 

Our journey towards a sustainable supply chain does not end here. We have been spearheading textile and garment innovation in India with projects like growing cotton with Superabsorbent Polymer (SAP) in partnership with HKRITA and recycling pre-consumer cotton waste with Usha Yarns, among others.

For business inquiries on Cradle to Cradle Certified® products, please contact: od@shahi.co.in

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While it is common practice for managers in corporate or white-collar jobs to receive management training, factory supervisors are rarely trained on the soft skills they need to harness the potential of large teams.

Recognizing this gap, in 2016, Shahi partnered with Good Business Lab (GBL) to design an extensive soft-skills program called STITCH (Supervisors Transformation into Change Holders) which encompasses sessions on topics ranging from problem-solving and coaching to gender sensitivity and improving workplace culture.

GBL’s research shows that STITCH enhances supervisors’ stock of soft skills, reduces turnover, and increases the workers’ productivity in their lines, thus raising incomes and the probability of receiving incentive bonuses. Shahi has already trained over 1400 supervisors in STITCH and enrolled more than 50 percent of supervisors in STITCH since 2017. 

Designing an effective leadership training program

The training content was developed based on an extensive survey of 2,000 supervisors at Shahi on their managerial practices and styles, workplace behaviors, and personality characteristics. The data from these surveys was matched with historical data on productivity to determine the training needs of supervisors required to improve supervisors’ effectiveness and behavioral temperament at work. The surveys found that tenure, cognitive skills, internal locus of control, autonomy, and attention are significant influencers. 

The STITCH training was designed to enhance core competencies and capacities of the supervisor to effectively manage their key roles through four modules (see Figure 1)

Module #1: Me as a person

This module helps supervisors understand and reflect on themselves as individuals, and recognize their strengths and values. The aim is to understand and strengthen their cognition of the ‘self’ before looking at themselves as supervisors. 

Module #2: Me as a supervisor

The second module helps supervisors understand their roles by locating essential skills such as planning and organizing, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and prevention of harassment.

Module #3: Me as a team member

The third module helps supervisors broaden their perspective of what it means to manage a team by being a team member and effectively motivating the team and building engagement. 

Module #4: Me as a leader

This fourth module helps the supervisors to develop their role as a leader. The module covers aspects like coaching a team effectively, being open to feedback, and changing the work culture by encouraging dialogue, openness, respect, and growth.

The sessions have been designed keeping in mind the need to support the transformation of supervisors at both a personal and a professional level. Shahi trainers deliver the training through weekly one-hour group sessions to a batch of around 20 supervisors over a period of 25 weeks (6-7 months).

Reflecting on her training experience, Pavithra, a supervisor in Unit 28 said, “The ‘Me as a Person’ module helped me understand myself. I make an effort not to judge others and think about how my behavior affects others. The program has made me not just a better supervisor but also a person. I find my level of patience considerably increased, and I hope my interaction with people leaves them with a smile.”

Soft skills boost performance on the factory floor

GBL’s impact evaluation validates Pavithra’s and many other supervisors’ experiences. The study concluded that the supervisors who received the training had more skills in the dimensions trained, as they performed significantly better in post-training tests in all four modules. Further, productivity on lines managed by STITCH-trained supervisors increased by 7.3%, and trained supervisors were 15% less likely to quit relative to those who did not receive the training. Trained supervisors experienced 6% higher salary growth and they and the workers in their lines had a higher probability of receiving incentive bonuses compared to untrained supervisors. 

Although the study did not find any significant direct impact of the training on workers’ wellbeing and supervisors’ satisfaction, stories of transformation shared by trainees indicate a positive change in their behavior and skills sets. Byresh KM, a housekeeping supervisor in Unit 11 shares his experience attending STITCH:

I was a demotivated employee that would neglect my responsibilities and constantly feel stressed. This would manifest in the form of anger and shouting, resulting in high levels of attrition in my team. After attending STITCH in 2021, my attitude towards life and work has completely shifted. I learned skills like patience and problem solving, which I now use to motivate my team, listen to their issues, and coach them on how to do better. My self-worth has increased – I feel like my work matters to the company and I want to contribute further by getting promoted from supervisor to housekeeping in-charge.

Mallesh V G, a supervisor in the manual brushing department in Unit 23, experienced a shift in mindset after attending the gender sensitivity module, “Before the training, I did not believe that women could be team leaders and felt that they can’t cope with additional responsibilities. STITCH taught me that gender is not important, but rather the person’s interest and skills are what matters. I now actively support women workers in my team to grow professionally.”

Future goals

Chitra Ramdas, General Manager, Organizational Development shares Shahi’s commitment,

In our experience designing and implementing this simple training has had a transformative impact on workplace relations and the work environment, leading to wider benefits for our organization. Our goal is to train 100% supervisors by 2024. 

Shahi and GBL have developed a smartphone application-based screening application to identify the best candidates to hire or promote for managerial roles by scoring them on their personality, cognitive ability, and managerial quality, potentially eliminating workplace bias. This application will also identify gaps in the soft skills of these candidates which can be filled by delivering relevant STITCH training modules to them virtually.

We’re also extending our learning from STITCH to develop soft skills training for middle and senior factory and corporate management. An eight-month leadership development course has been designed with 17 modules to groom upcoming leaders at Shahi. This training will be extended to all leadership at Shahi’s factories and offices.

At Shahi, we have known the value of training on soft skills such as time and stress management, problem-solving, and execution excellence by training over 60,000 women in Gap Inc. Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement (P.A.C.E.) since 2007. Our goal is to train 90,000+ women in GAP Inc. P.A.C.E. by 2024. 

In a fast-paced industry where speed of production and delivery is paramount, manufacturers often look to technical and operational solutions to drive efficiency. Soft skills training is usually not a top-of-mind solution for manufacturers. However, studies like this one by GBL prove that soft skills training is a simple yet highly effective tool to boost factory culture and performance, creating a win-win situation for both employees and the company.

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