Eco-friendly apparel label, Bhu:sattva plans to enter US, Canada

Organic and eco-friendly apparel label Bhu:sattva is planning to set up shops in the US and Canada and introduce a range of accessories next year. US and Canada sees a lot of spend on apparels. While America accounts for 26.69 per cent of the world market, the average Canadian household incurs an annual expenditure of 2,450 Canadian dollars on clothing. Purchases in the two markets are also marked by extensive awareness of social responsibility and the health benefits of organic clothing. Till date, Bhu:sattva was focusing on West Asian and South American markets, it is learnt. Bhu:sattva, is the organic textile division of Ahmedabad-based Rising Tradelink (RTL)

Organic apparels is not a category but the process of making healthy and eco-friendly apparel and Bhu:sattva, unlike Fabindia and others offers completely handmade, customised and embroidered clothing and other similarly crafted material. The textile and apparel industry can be broadly divided into two segments viz yarn and fibre and processed fabrics and apparel. India accounts for nearly 14 per cent of the world's production of textile fibres and yarns and is the largest producer of jute, second largest producer of silk and cotton and third largest in cellulosic fibre. The country has the highest loom capacity (including handlooms) with 63 per cent of the world's market share. Increased penetration of organised retail, favourable demographics and rising income levels are likely to drive the demand for textiles.

Bhu:sattva works with non-governmental organizations that procure organic cotton from villages in southern India. The raw cotton to yarn to fabric processing is done organically without using strong chemicals at south India's power-looms. RTL colors the fabric using herbals dyes and stitches them in-house in Kutch and Bhuj region of Gujarat.