Responsible Design, Production, and Innovation in Indian Fashion and Textile Brands

The Indian fashion and textile industry is undergoing structural shifts due to changing production priorities, technological capabilities, and global accountability frameworks. This paper examines evolving practice frameworks within the Indian fashion and textile sector through a comparative analysis of four purpose-led fashion brands, anonymised as Brand 1, Brand 2, Brand 3, and Brand 4. Adopting a mixed-methods research design, the study combines primary survey data with secondary literature to assess brand practices in ethical production, resource efficiency, technology-enabled processes, and alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The findings indicate that all four brands exhibit a strong commitment to responsible production, as evidenced by local sourcing, upcycling, and made-to-order models. The integration of advanced technology-enabled systems remains limited. Digital product passports, blockchain traceability, and 3D sampling are scarcely used. The paper argues that closer integration of value-driven production models with emerging technological frameworks can enhance transparency, circularity, and long-term competitiveness within the Indian fashion industry.