The partnership will introduce batch-level traceability and compliance training to powerloom manufacturers, but its value will depend on adoption beyond pilot units.
India’s Powerloom Development & Export Promotion Council, or PDEXCIL, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Amsterdam-based traceability platform AWARE to prepare powerloom manufacturers for emerging European Digital Product Passport requirements.
Signed at Bharat Tex 2026, the agreement covers awareness programmes, workshops, webinars, onboarding support and initial implementation projects with selected PDEXCIL members. PDEXCIL was established by India’s Ministry of Textiles to develop the powerloom industry and promote exports of fabrics and made-ups.
Data must begin upstream
The initiative targets a persistent traceability weakness in textiles: product information is often reconstructed at garment or brand level after yarns and fabrics have passed through several independent suppliers.
AWARE’s system assigns a digital data token to each production batch, carrying authenticated information such as material origin, fibre composition and production credentials. The company also issues blockchain-based transaction records described as Crypto TCs. Under the agreement, participating manufacturers will retain control of the data they generate.
For powerloom exporters, this could create a more reliable link between incoming yarn, woven fabric, processing, dispatch documents and downstream product claims.
EU requirements move closer
The EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation establishes the framework for Digital Product Passports. Textiles, particularly apparel, are included among the priority product groups in the Commission’s 2025–2030 working plan. Product-specific obligations will still be defined through delegated acts, meaning the final textile data fields and compliance timetable are not yet fully settled.
This distinction matters. A blockchain platform can support traceability, but it does not automatically make a fabric or garment compliant. Manufacturers will still need accurate source data, consistent batch identification, supplier participation and evidence supporting environmental or recycled-content claims.
Adoption is the real test
AWARE will offer verified PDEXCIL members preferential commercial terms, technical assistance and training. The organisations plan to begin with selected units before considering wider deployment.
The next test will be whether small and medium-sized powerloom companies can integrate the system into routine production without creating duplicate paperwork or excessive cost. Success should be measured through traceable commercial orders, verified data continuity and buyer acceptance—not the number of workshops delivered.
