Mumbai Textile Circular Economy Demonstration Project Overview
ReFiber, a technology‑enabled circular economy platform powered by OterRi, launched its flagship Mumbai Textile Circular Economy Demonstration Project on World Environment Day 2026 at the World Trade Center Mumbai. The pilot recovered 2.7 tonnes of post‑consumer textiles, generating 275 collection orders from 257 citizens through a network of 15 laundry partners operating across 28 branches. The initiative demonstrated that existing city‑service networks can provide an efficient first‑mile collection channel without the need for parallel logistics.
Partnerships and Implementation
The project was implemented in partnership with Tisser, the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI), UNIDO, the World Trade Center Mumbai, and Lions International. OterRi supplied the doorstep laundry‑service aggregation and micro‑logistics network that enabled source‑segregated, hygienic collection directly from households.
White Paper Findings and Barriers
At Bharat Tex 2026, ReFiber presented its White Paper titled “Mumbai Textile Circular Economy Demonstration Project” to senior policymakers, industry leaders, and international organisations. The paper identified six key barriers to textile circularity in India:
1. No source segregation
2. No citizen incentives
3. No traceability
4. No organised collection infrastructure
5. Weak links to recyclers and upcyclers
6. No way to measure impact
The findings illustrate how technology‑enabled solutions can create environmental, social, and economic value through women‑led up‑cycling enterprises, Self‑Help Groups, and local businesses.
Stakeholder Engagement
The White Paper was presented to Smt. Neelam Shami Rao (Secretary, Ministry of Textiles), Ms. Vrunda Manohar Desai (Textile Commissioner), Shri Kartikay Dhanda (Secretary, Textiles Committee), Ms. Radhika Batra (Chief of Staff, UNRCO, India), Dr. Cristiano Pasini (Director and UNIDO Representative for India and South Asia), Dr. Pankaj Kumar (National Project Coordinator, UNIDO), senior CMAI leadership including Mr. Santosh Katariya (President, CMAI), Mr. Naveen Sainani (Chairperson, CMAI Ecostitch Sustainability Cell), Mr. Rahul Mehta (Chief Mentor, CMAI), Mr. Parvinder Kadyan (Founder Director, GATS), and representatives from the governments of Nagaland and Karnataka.
Leadership Statements
Shrikant Bhangdiya, Chairman of the ReFiber Initiative, emphasized the cultural and economic importance of textiles in India and the aim to transform waste into a resource through a transparent, traceable, and scalable ecosystem. Manoj Wanvari, COO of OterRi & ReFiber, highlighted the project as a milestone toward building city‑wide, state‑level, and eventually national circular textile infrastructure powered by digital traceability and inclusive stakeholder participation.
Roadmap and Future Scaling
Building on the Mumbai demonstration, ReFiber’s phased roadmap intends to scale the model from Navi Mumbai to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, then across Maharashtra, and ultimately nationwide. The goal is to establish a replicable Digital Public Infrastructure for textile circularity that converts waste into resources and accelerates India’s transition to a sustainable future.
About ReFiber and OterRi
ReFiber integrates digital citizen engagement, doorstep collection, source segregation, material traceability, and impact reporting into a single ecosystem. OterRi, the micro‑logistics and laundry‑service aggregator, provides the ready‑made, hygienic first‑mile collection channel essential for clean, source‑segregated material.