CITI–ITC Launch EU-Funded Programme To Equip Indian Textile SMEs For CS3D Compliance

New Delhi, Nov 27 (KNN) The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) has partnered with the International Trade Centre (ITC) to pilot an EU-funded capacity-building programme to help India’s textile and apparel SMEs prepare for compliance with the European Union’s (EU) Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D).

ITC—a joint agency of the United Nations (UN) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO)—supports small businesses in developing countries on trade-related matters and serves as the UN system’s focal point for technical cooperation on trade promotion and export development.

Adopted in 2024, the EU’s CS3D requires large companies operating in the European Union to identify, prevent and mitigate adverse human rights and environmental impacts across their operations, subsidiaries and value chains. 

The directive is expected to influence supplier expectations beyond the EU, particularly in sectors with higher risk profiles, including textiles and apparel.

CITI Chairman Ashwin Chandran welcomed the collaboration, noting that enhanced sustainability preparedness will be essential as India and the EU continue negotiations on a proposed free trade agreement (FTA). 

“India’s textile and apparel exporters being in a stronger position on the sustainability front is imperative to achieving the target of USD 100 billion in textile and apparel exports by 2030,” Chandran added. A majority of firms in this industry fall under the MSME category.

As part of the initiative, CITI and ITC jointly organised a sensitisation workshop in New Delhi on November 27 to brief industry stakeholders on evolving EU legislative requirements, with a particular focus on CS3D. 

The session also introduced a pilot project and an online diagnostic tool developed by ITC to help companies assess their preparedness for the directive.

(KNN Bureau)