Tag: Press Update

  • Shahi Exports and KMIT partner to support at-risk women against poverty, human trafficking

    Shahi Exports and KMIT partner to support at-risk women against poverty, human trafficking

    Bhubaneshwar – 21 March 2023: Shahi Exports and Know Me India Trust (KMIT) today have announced a partnership to support vulnerable and at-risk women in India against poverty and human trafficking. The partnership implements ‘Project Swabhimaan,’ which provides life skills training, sector-specific technical training, and job opportunities or support in opening a small business to women from vulnerable social and economic communities, particularly those at risk of human trafficking and exploitation. The program will also provide mentorship and motivation to encourage and support women in their journey toward financial stability and independence.

    The partnership furthers the joint vision of both organizations, creating a sustainable and direct employment pathway for the most disadvantaged and at-risk women in Jharsuguda, Odisha. The pilot program launched here in Odisha intends to train, educate, and prepare women from disadvantaged communities with limited access to stable employment. Upon completion of the training, the participants will be offered job opportunities at Shahi – India’s largest manufacturer and exporter of ready-made garments. 

    Anant Ahuja, Head of Organizational Development at Shahi Exports, said, “We are delighted to partner with Know Me India Trust to create this opportunity for women from disadvantaged communities. Our company is built on the foundation of empowerment of women and a spirit to contribute towards the development of communities in which we operate. This partnership is aligned with our efforts to promote sustainable livelihoods, fight against human trafficking and modern slavery, and provide opportunities for women to become financially independent.”

    Data suggest that about eight million people in India are trapped in human trafficking. The number of persons trafficked for forced labor in India is 20 to 65 million. And 90% of the trafficking occurs domestically, intrastate, or interstate. The joint initiative by Shahi Exports and KMIT is particularly significant in this context as it seeks to support vulnerable and at-risk women against poverty and human trafficking by supporting them in providing training and livelihood.

    Supei Liu, Program and Development Board Advisor to KMIT, said, “We believe that sustainable employment is one of the most effective ways to prevent exploitation of vulnerable individuals and re-exploitation of survivors of human trafficking and other forms of slavery. Our partnership with Shahi aims to address this and help at-risk women achieve economic agency and mobility. We are sure that quality training, stable incomes, and a safe work environment will provide women with opportunities to acquire the skills and access the resources they need to achieve economic independence, dignity, and freedom.

    The project will ensure that 100% of the vulnerable and at-risk women going through the program will experience a 65% increase in income and sustain this growth over the next two years. KMIT is set to take on the challenge of supporting the women in the Swabhimaan program in achieving economic security while successfully breaking the cycle of exploitation and human trafficking.

    KMIT works in communities with some of the highest incidences of both labor trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), where women and girls are economically marginalized due to poverty, caste discrimination, gender inequality, and low capacity to resist economic shocks. 

  • Shahi Exports becomes India’s first woven apparel and textiles manufacturer to create Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold products

    Shahi Exports becomes India’s first woven apparel and textiles manufacturer to create Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold products

    In a massive step towards the transition to the circular fashion industry, Shahi Exports is proud to be the first woven apparel and textiles manufacturer in India to be awarded Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold under Version 3.1, a globally recognized measure of safer, more sustainable products made for the circular economy. The collection of products that have received this certification is called ‘Arth’ (‘Meaning’ in Hindi) and comprises women’s dresses made for C&A. 

    “We are grateful to our partner C&A for working with us to create this truly innovative, first-of-its-kind, circular product. At every step of the design process, C&A and Shahi worked together to find the right alternative materials, chemicals, and other raw materials to achieve the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold level.”

    – Ruchi Asija, Vice President, Marketing, Shahi Exports

    Cradle to Cradle Certified® is awarded by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, a global non-profit dedicated to powering innovation for the circular economy through products that have a positive impact on people and the planet. Product designers, manufacturers, and brands around the world rely on the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard as a transformative pathway for designing and making products with a positive impact on people and the planet. This certified product standard is rooted in the Cradle to Cradle® design principles established by William McDonough and Dr. Michael Braungart. 

    To receive certification, products are assessed for environmental and social performance across five critical sustainability categories: material health, product circularity, clean air & climate protection, water & soil stewardship, and social fairness. The product is assigned an achievement level (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) for each category. Shahi has achieved a Platinum performance level for Material Health, and the Gold level on the other four standard categories. The lead assessment body for this process was Eco Intelligent Growth (EIG) and the material health assessment body was MBDC. 

    The fabric for the ‘Arth’ collection was made at Shahi’s weaving mill and the garments were stitched at our apparel factory. The entire collection is made using Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified organic cotton, more than 96% of which is rapidly renewable cotton. Further, 86% of the water used in fabric processing was recycled at our mill having Zero Liquid Discharge. The finished products are 100% carbon neutral. The products are made keeping the principles of circularity in mind and are 100% recyclable. 

    “The Arth collection is a powerful example of how suppliers and brands can work together to design and create materials and products that meet shared objectives for circularity and sustainability,” said Christina Raab, Vice President of Strategy and Development for the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. “By achieving one of the highest levels of Cradle to Cradle certification for the collection, Shahi Exports is not only demonstrating the scope of opportunity for supplier-brand partnerships but also the vast innovation and leadership potential of India’s textile mills.”

    The Global Sourcing & 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. Most of all, 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 Cradle to Cradle Certified® innovations and other ground-breaking sustainability initiatives forward.”