Environmentally Sustainable Innovation: A Case of Indian Fashion Industry

While the fashion sector is booming, increasing attention has been brought to the range of negative environmental and social impacts that the industry is responsible for. In emerging markets, post-pandemic, large fashion firms are facing a new set of increased sustainability challenges where scholarly attention is required. Using multiple case studies approach and content analysis, we conceptualize a framework that offers insights into the prevailing sustainability challenges of fashion firms in India. This empirical article attempts to identify social, economic and environmental challenges being faced by large fashion houses in India. The article also attempts to identify environmentally sustainable innovation best practices toward social, economic, and environmental challenges being faced by large fashion houses in India. The framework offers ten best practices, including sourcing and developing indigenous technology to process alternative raw materials and collaborations with artisans and NGOs. In addition, the article also offers innovative practices in supply chains of fashion firms to enhance sustainability.