8th FMC Award for Responsible BMOs Recognizes Excellence in Sustainable Business Practices

"The FMC Award for Responsible BMOs recognizes the critical role of Business Membership Organizations in driving sustainable and inclusive growth. By promoting best practices in environmental stewardship, social impact, and governance, these awards encourage BMOs to be catalysts for transformation in the MSME sector. We are proud to honor organizations that exemplify leadership in responsible business, paving the way for a more resilient and sustainable future," Amit Pande, Chief Operating Officer, FMC

This year, more than 130 BMOs, representing 40,000 MSMEs, applied for the prestigious awards, which aim to widely circulate Responsible Business Promotion Case Studies to textile and apparel MSMEs and related stakeholders.

The Hon'ble Minister of State for Textiles, Mr. Pabitra Margherita honoured the event as Chief Guest.

Haryana Environmental Management Society (HEMS), a registered society established in 2004 won award in the category of "Promoting Green Environment" at National/State/Regional level. Representing 4,550 industrial units across Haryana, HEMS has played a pivotal role in promoting environmental awareness, sustainable waste management, and eco-conscious industrial practices. Its initiatives include membership drives, environmental education programs, health check-ups, blood donation camps, and school competitions on sustainability. Recognizing the growing challenges of industrial hazardous waste management, HEMS established a Common Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facility (TSDF) in Village Pali, District Faridabad, offering centralized solutions for safe and eco-friendly hazardous waste disposal. This initiative has minimized waste, enhanced regulatory compliance, improved resource efficiency, and strengthened health and safety measures for thousands of industries in Haryana.

Indian Textile Accessories and Machinery Manufacturers Association (ITAMMA) won the award for "Promoting Social Issues" in National/State/Regional level category. ITAMMA was established in 1943 in Maharashtra and represents 405 enterprises. The B.K. Mehta Technology Networking Mission - 2030 aims to revolutionize textile engineering by fostering innovation and student-driven solutions. Launched in Mumbai, with sessions in Coimbatore and Ahmedabad, it promotes industry-academia collaboration, commercialization of projects, funding opportunities, and employment generation, driving Indias leadership in textile technology.

District/Cluster Level Award for "Promoting Green Environment" was given to Jayadev Banana Farmers and Artisans Association" for "Banana Fibre and Bio-Fertiliser - Reduce Usage of Synthetic Yarn and Chemical Fertilizer"

District/Cluster Level Award for "Promoting Social Issues" was given to Nitya Sangha Mahila SHG Cooperative Society for "Bank Loan to SHG - Leading to Women Empowerment"

Upcoming Textile Recycling Initiative with Switch Asia EU

The Foundation for MSME Clusters, with support of Switch Asia - European Union, is paving the way for a more sustainable, resource-efficient, and environmentally responsible future for Indias MSME sector. The initiative is launched with focus on advancing sustainability in Indias textile recycling clusters.

India processes 2 million tons of textile waste annually, with Panipat, Bhojpur, and Amroha handling 60% of this waste and exporting 33% of recycled products to Europe, USA, and the UK. The project aims to transform Panipat into a global hub for sustainable textiles, ensuring transparency in waste management through a Digital Product Passport to track textile waste flows and prevent greenwashing. Additionally, it will focus on technology upgrades for sustainable production, skill enhancement, and green financing solutions, benefiting 14,800 MSMEs and 250,000 workers.

FMC is also implementing another project in Panipat with support from HSBC on decarbonisation and to promote green business models on traceability and resource efficiency for increased profitability in textile recycling MSMEs with support from Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

About FMC

Foundation for MSME Clusters (FMC) is a leading non-governmental, not-for-profit public charitable trust, established in India in 2005. FMC has made remarkable strides in fostering sustainable livelihoods and environmental progress through our innovative cluster development approach. Our work spans more than 300 MSME clusters, supporting over 100,000 artisanal and industrial units, ranging from household operations to medium-sized production entities. As an empanelled Nodal Agency with the Ministries of MSME and Rural Development, FMC extends support to prominent schemes like SFURTI, and is also providing technical, research and evaluation support to various organizations including SIDBI & KVIC. FMC has implemented multiple projects on environment and livelihoods with support of agencies like NABARD, UNIDO, UNDP, EU, ADB, and major corporates such as CISCO, Mahindra Finance, HCL, Yes Bank and Hindalco. Since its inception, FMC has enhanced more than 275,000 livelihoods, impacted more than 100,000 women by generating income of more than 75 Crore INR and facilitated reduction of 60,000 ton of carbon.

For more information, please visit fmc.org.in.