Cotton Rising: India’s Path to Global Leadership.
Compiled by Salil Chawla, Director, DFU Publications
Delivering the keynote address at the 4th Global Cotton Conference held yesterday in New Delhi, Jyoti Narain Kapoor-Country Director for Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) in India, conveyed a powerful message on the future of India’s cotton sector, coinciding with the celebration of World Cotton Day.
Improving working conditions and ensuring financial security remain central to the cotton sector’s transformation. BCI has emerged as a significant force in this space, impacting nearly 20–25% of farmers.
It’s not just a domestic initiative—many global brands have aligned with BCI, building strong identities over the past two to three decades. That’s why I turn to you now—as a vital partner in this journey.
Even as we speak, programs are actively underway, with our colleagues on the ground.
BCI stands as a standard-bearer in this movement. In every conversation, BCI brings cultural depth and credibility. The question now is: how do we elevate this strength globally? Surya Kaur, though young—just three years old—is rooted in a legacy that spans nearly two decades.
It needs nurturing, and within your globally recognized framework, we must explore how to scale and strengthen our collaboration.
We’re proud of our MOU with students and deeply committed to this theme, which places sustainability at its core. Better Cotton, as an international organization, plays a pivotal role—representing 23% of global cotton and engaging over 2,500 members, including 700 from India.
With an additional 3,500 non-members across industries, we are truly a multi-stakeholder platform.
We understand that brands today demand sustainable cotton—not just for ethical reasons, but also to meet regulatory standards. Our role is to bridge that gap, ensuring Indian cotton meets global expectations.
But we must work more closely to amplify this message and position Indian cotton as a global benchmark.
The standards-based approach, though challenging, is essential. We've seen how custodial funding and rigorous protocols become embedded from the start, shaping practices and expectations.
Programs like BCI offer farmers and ginners pathways to meet these standards. The “Kasturi test,” as it’s called, is tough—only about 35% pass—but it sets a high bar for quality and accountability.
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