3 December 2025, Mumbai
ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai, commemorated its 102nd Foundation Day and Agricultural Education Day celebrations today by hosting a brainstorming session titled ‘Traceability, Transparency and Sustainability in Cotton Value Chain.’ The event was conducted in a hybrid mode, ensuring broad participation from a diverse group of stakeholders, including key researchers, industry leaders, innovative startups, and progressive farmers.
Dr. S. K. Shukla, Director, ICAR-CIRCOT, elaborated on the inherent problems encountered in the sole adoption of digital traceability solutions. He strongly emphasized the critical necessity for developing and using physical tracers to provide concrete evidence that supports claims of sustainability, which is essential for maintaining brand values and consumer trust. He mentioned that the global buyers demand verifiable proof of ethical sourcing and sustainable practices, which is difficult to provide due to India's fragmented supply chain. He suggested that traceability provides an immutable digital record of the cotton's journey from farm to market, allowing exporters to concretely demonstrate compliance with social and environmental standards.
The discussion began with a comprehensive overview of the need to integrate traceability and transparency as essential components for the sustainable development of the entire cotton value chain. The session highlighted various tracing technologies currently in use globally and examined the practical challenges faced by Indian industries in implementing these systems. An update was also provided on the progress of a physical tracer technology under development at the Institute.
In addition to external stakeholders, internal participants included Heads of Divisions, Scientists, and Technical Officers from ICAR-CIRCOT, Mumbai. All stakeholders contributed meaningfully by sharing their practical, field-based insights.
The brainstorming session concluded with a clear set of actionable recommendations aimed at long-term sectoral advancement. Key suggestions included the development of an indigenous, customized traceability solution for the cotton value chain incorporating physical and DNA tracers along with digital tracing tools. It was emphasized that these systems must be farmer- or region-centric, tailored to the specific needs of end-users and brands. Successful implementation will require collaborative efforts from all stakeholders to ensure rapid development, validation, and widespread adoption of the technology.
(Source: ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai)
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