H&M Foundation and Global Fashion Agenda Champion Circular Fashion in Panipat

In a strategic push to accelerate the circular textile economy, a high-level delegation from the H&M Foundation and Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) visited Panipat, India’s renowned textile recycling hub. The visit spotlighted collaborative opportunities to scale textile waste recycling and embed sustainability deep into the fashion value chain.

Led by Lennart Bernhoft, COO of GFA, the delegation included Carola Tembe, Jodith Tesfai, and Elin Hallerby of the H&M Foundation. The group was hosted by Parvinder Singh, Chairman of the Global Alliance for Textile Sustainability (GATS), who showcased Panipat’s robust waste-to-product ecosystem—a model for circular fashion practices worldwide.

The visit focused on three core areas critical to the fashion industry’s sustainability transformation:

• Scaling textile waste recycling systems,
• Enhancing the market value of recycled materials, and
• Improving social protections for unorganised sector workers.

These priorities align with the broader mission of building a circular fashion economy grounded in equity and resilience. Discussions also highlighted GATS’s vision to evolve Panipat from a traditional home textiles hub into a future-ready garment sourcing destination, powered by local skill development and circular design innovation.

The delegation also reviewed progress under the ‘Green Threads & Weaves’ initiative, a joint effort by the H&M Foundation and the Foundation for MSME Clusters, facilitated by GFA. This initiative serves as a vital platform for nurturing sustainable business models across India’s micro and small fashion enterprises.

As the global fashion industry confronts climate and labour challenges, the Panipat visit marks a meaningful step toward redefining sustainability at scale—rooted in local action, global collaboration, and circular innovation.