logo
Elan Circular Design Challenge 2025 Announces Winners

Elan Circular Design Challenge 2025 Announces Winners

The R|Elan Circular Design Challenge (RCDC), India's premier sustainability-focused fashion award, has revealed its 2025 global finalists. Hosted by Reliance Industries Limited's R|Elan in partnership with the United Nations in India and Lakmē Fashion Week, this year's edition attracted over 190 applications from across 10+ countries, with support from global partners including the British Council, Redress, Fondazione Sozzani, and Fashion Revolution.
Indian Finalists:
Varshne B (CRCLE): Uses materials like Weganool, banana leather, stainless steel scraps, and post-consumer textiles in a zero-waste, circular design model.
Radhesh Agrahari (Golden Feathers): Innovates with chicken feather waste, producing wool-like textiles via a patented, chemical-free, zero-waste process.
Rishabh Kumar (Farak): Works with rural artisans, using handspun organic cotton, natural dyes, and traditional block printing—all without electricity or plastic.
Global Finalists:
UK Winner: Maximilian Raynor repurposes deadstock luxury textiles and vegan leather into zero-waste garments, focusing on rental and reuse.
EU Winner: Martina Boero (Cavia) blends Italian craftsmanship with circular practices by upcycling vintage and deadstock materials.
APAC & Beyond Winner: Jesica Pullo (BIOTICO) creates couture using post-consumer plastic and industrial waste, while advancing social inclusion through partnerships with disability institutions.
Rakesh Bali, Senior VP – Marketing, Reliance Industries, said,
'This platform, born in India and now global in its reach, reflects our deep commitment at Reliance to nurturing a new generation of changemakers—designers who are not only creative but also conscious.'
Jaspreet Chandok, Group VP, Reliance Brands Ltd, added,
'CDC is now shaping global conversations on circularity by fostering inclusive and collaborative innovation.'
Jury panels across regions included leaders from Vogue India, British Council, Fondazione Sozzani, UNEP, Redress, and sustainability champions like Dia Mirza and Sara Sozzani Maino.
What's Next:
Finalists will converge at Lakmē Fashion Week x FDCI in October for the Grand Finale. The winner will receive:
INR 15 Lakhs seed fund
Stand-alone showcase at LFW in March 2026
6-month mentorship with Orsola De Castro & Estethica
The runner-up will receive INR 5 Lakhs and mentorship.
R|Elan CDC continues to be a powerful global platform driving innovation in circular fashion and sustainability.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

GST's identity crisis: One nation, multiple headaches
GST's identity crisis: One nation, multiple headaches

Time of India

time21 minutes ago

  • Time of India

GST's identity crisis: One nation, multiple headaches

Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills Rajesh Sodhi still remembers the night of June 30, 2017. The Ludhiana-based textile manufacturer had stayed up past midnight, watching Parliament TV as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was announced. 'One Nation, One Tax' was the clarion call. It sounded like music to his years on, Sodhi's enthusiasm has morphed into frustration. His factory now employs three accountants just to handle GST compliance . "We were promised simplicity," he says. "Instead, we got something more complicated than what we had before."Sodhi's story isn't unique. Across India, individuals and corporates alike are grappling with a tax framework that seems to have developed a mind of its complexity starts with the basics. Instead of 'One Tax', today's GST comes with five different tax rates: 0%, 5%, 12%, 18%, and 28%. Add in numerous exemptions, differential rates for services, and sector-specific rules, and you have a system that's making the old tax regime look something as basic as determining which rate applies to popcorn, which is still a hot-button issue months after the December 2024 GST Council meeting. Is it taxed at 5%, 12%, or 18%? The answer depends on factors so nuanced that even tax lawyers disagree, but the lowdown is: it's 5% if sold loose (such as in a movie theatre), 12% if packaged and savoury-flavoured, and 18% if caramelised. But if your popcorn comes bundled with your movie ticket, the GST would be 18% because this would be treated as a composite such as these have prompted entrepreneurs and companies, regardless of industry, to reclassify their products and services after routine audits, resulting in demands for additional tax ranging from lakhs to crores of rupees."There has to be a philosophy to taxation that informs decision-making. GST is far from the good and simple tax it was supposed to be," says former Finance Minister (FM) Yashwant Sinha. "When I was FM, I rationalised the multiple central excise rates down to three. GST has a rate multiplicity problem. It's creating classification, implementation, and filing issues. The slabs must be reduced— ideally to one."The digitalisation of the Indian economy has revealed another vital limitation in the implementation of GST. App-based services, digital payments, and e-commerce platforms have created a whole new category of tax disputes that the system wasn't designed to Karnataka, vendors are protesting after having received GST notices for UPI-based transactions exceeding ₹40 lakh a year. They are currently demanding that the state revoke such notices, and that enforcement of such rules be relaxed for small-scale consider fintech entrepreneurs whose lending platforms are embroiled in disputes over whether algorithmic credit scoring should be taxed as a software solution or a financial service, a distinction that could mean the difference between 0% and 18% tax rates. Software as a Service (SaaS) companies are unclear and thus unable to determine whether they're selling goods or services. There's confusion over e-commerce platforms' marketplace versus inventory models, and skill-based online gaming companies are still contending with the massive retrospective demands rising from the hike from 18% to 28%, on par with chance-based activities such as gambling and there's the 'luxury' classification. As Aarin Capital Chairman and former Infosys executive Mohandas Pai puts it:"Air conditioners and TVs larger than 32 inches are taxed at 28%, but these aren't luxury items. They're mass goods today. Two-wheelers and sedans are also not considered luxury goods in 2025. Cement, which is critical for building India, also falls in the 28% bracket. The number of slabs should be reduced, and classifications revised."A concern on GST's complexity is the volume of disputes it has generated. There were significant judgments pertaining to GST in 2024, rendered by High Courts across the nation. And 2025 is even busier, as evidenced by recent multinational corporations across sectors have taken the international arbitration route to seek relief from retrospective tax claims. Several disputes are ongoing. Two, online real money gaming platforms are challenging retrospective GST notices amounting to ₹1.12 lakh crore, which exceed the industry's turnover of approximately ₹20,000 crore. The Supreme Court heard their arguments on July 15 and has scheduled its final hearing for July 25. Three, food delivery aggregators are wondering whether delivery charges attract 5% or 18% GST, which could further dent make or break their razor-thin margins. Four, airlines and shipping companies were mired in compliance issues around 'place of supply rules' that confused rather than clarified. Lastly, life and health insurance companies contended with 18% GST, a move that was passed on to already-burdened cases highlight that retrospective tax actions, especially those related to indirect taxes like GST, may impact not only compliance but also business overall "pay first, argue later" approach is also a hurdle for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which have minimal resources, including cash flows, to sustain specialised tax compliance teams. And the paperwork doesn't help. This includes mandatory multi-factor authentication for GST portal access and restrictions on E-Way Bill (EWB) generation to curb fraudulent practices, which have added yet another layer of complexity to daily operations. As Rajesh Sodhi, the entrepreneur from Ludhiana, says:'Tax refund delays are my biggest problem. I'm spending most of my time on GST-related tasks. I became a businessman to sell hosiery and other textiles, not to become a tax expert. But that's what this system has forced me to become."Although India's foreign direct investment (FDI) performance has shown resilience, recent data indicates moderation in investment momentum. In FY25, net FDI inflows dropped to a record 96.5%, as reported by The Economic Times. This has everything to do with investors exiting lucrative IPOs here and Indian firms ramping up overseas investments. But here's something to consider: the retrospective application of tax laws also undermines the principle of legal certainty, which is critical for investor confidence. Such enforcement imposes additional due diligence requirements and risk assessment protocols on foreign investors, particularly in sectors with complex supply chains and cross-border Financial Times reported that disputed tax demands, totalling around ₹13.4 lakh crore (as of March 2024), may have contributed to the decrease in net FDI inflows. Automaker Volkswagen is contesting a tax demand of approximately ₹12,000 crore related to import duties stemming from a 12-year investigation. Similarly, Maruti Suzuki (~₹20,000 crore) and Hyundai (~₹4,000 crore) are also among the top companies. Such prolonged battles and uncertainty surrounding tax obligations could raise concerns among investors about the predictability of India's tax are signs that policymakers are finally acknowledging pain points. Owing to Budget 2025, enterprises can expect some GST rate rationalisation in the 56th GST Council meeting, to be held later this month. Two major measures reportedly being considered are the elimination of the 12% slab and the abolition of GST altogether for term for businesses like Sodhi's, the question isn't whether reforms will come. It's whether they'll arrive soon enough. After eight years of promises and patches, India's entrepreneurs are running out of patience with the great tax answer, it seems, is written in the stars… or perhaps in the next GST Council meeting.

Hamas Vindicated? Explosive Report Junks Trump Admin's Gaza Aid Loot Claim: ‘Israel Not Weaponising'
Hamas Vindicated? Explosive Report Junks Trump Admin's Gaza Aid Loot Claim: ‘Israel Not Weaponising'

Time of India

time21 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Hamas Vindicated? Explosive Report Junks Trump Admin's Gaza Aid Loot Claim: ‘Israel Not Weaponising'

'Looking For High-Scoring Partnership': Modi Bats For Youth, Farmers, MSMEs & Global Trade | UK FTA India and the United Kingdom have signed a historic Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that promises to double bilateral trade, unlock new markets for Indian exports, and make UK products more affordable in India. Signed by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and UK counterpart Jonathan Reynolds, the deal was sealed in the presence of PM Modi and UK PM Keir Starmer. Modi called the moment 'historic,' comparing India-UK ties to a cricket match played with a straight bat. From Indian textiles and engineering goods to UK whisky and medical devices, the FTA aims to benefit both nations, but especially India's youth, farmers, fishermen, and MSMEs. This deal puts India on a stronger global footing, showing that even amid turbulent global trade dynamics, Delhi is batting with vision, confidence, and purpose. Watch how India's 'Vision 2035' is turning trade into transformation.#pmmodi #narendramodi #indiaukdeal #modistarmer #modiukvisit #modistarmermeeting #modicrickettalk #cricket #modicricketanalogy #cricketanalogy #fta #indiauktarde #freetradeagreement #brexitindia #globaltrade #newchapter #indiaeconomy #ukindiarelations #modidiplomacy #keirstarmer #toi #toibharat #bharat #trending #breakingnews #indianews #toi #toibharat #bharat #trending #breakingnews #indianews 33.7K views | 22 hours ago

Indian automobile industry may grow by 6-7% in FY26 amid damp consumer demand: Report
Indian automobile industry may grow by 6-7% in FY26 amid damp consumer demand: Report

Time of India

time21 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Indian automobile industry may grow by 6-7% in FY26 amid damp consumer demand: Report

The Indian automobile sector is expected to grow by 6-7 per cent in the fiscal year (FY26) amid damp consumer demand across most vehicle categories, according to a report by Motilal Oswal. As per the report, volumes in the two-wheeler category fell the highest compared to passenger vehicles (PV) and commercial vehicles (CVs) in the first quarter of FY26 (Q1FY26). The two-wheeler segment remained under pressure due to muted demand. In the April-June quarter of FY26, motorcycle sales fell by 9 per cent year-on-year, ICE scooter sales declined 5 per cent year-on-year, and moped volumes also slid by 11 per cent year-on-year. By contrast, the PV category posted a 1.4 per cent decline in volumes, with the small car segment being impacted significantly due to the volumes of key models such as Maruti Alto, Spresso, and Celerio witnessing sharp year-on-year declines in Q1FY26. The commercial vehicle (CV) segment, meanwhile, saw a marginal decline in volumes. While MHCV goods registered a 4.5 per cent dip, LCV goods fell by 0.5 per cent. However, bus sales remained a bright spot, with MHCV buses growing 7.6 per cent and LCV buses up 8.8 per cent. In terms of OEMs' performance, Tata Motors underperformed across all four CV sub-segments, while VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV) managed to outperform in most, according to Motilal Oswal. 'Our focus would be to deliver industry-beating growth (in FY26) because one, this year is possibly the strongest product cycle for us, and the freshest portfolio. We have a low base for FY25. On the SUV side also, we will be coming with a multipowertrain on Harrier and Safari, including the petrol version,' said Shailesh Chandra, MD, Tata Motors & Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, earlier at the Q4FY25 post-earnings conference call in May. Chandra had said that there would be re-varianting and repositioning of certain products in the portfolio. 'We have the full year for Nexon CNG and also, we will launch Sierra. So, even SUVs are going to be strong…it's going to be a very strong year for us,' he said. The top Tata Motors executive had said that the company will strengthen its value proposition of its existing EV products, in terms of value-price equation. 'It's going to be a strong year for us on the EV side also,' Chandra said. Its homegrown rival, Mahindra & Mahindra, too, is confident of growth this year. Nalinikant Gollagunta, CEO (automotive division) at Mahindra & Mahindra, said the company remains confident of mid-to-high teens growth in the SUV segment, along with strong double-digit export growth. He also reaffirmed guidance for high single-digit growth in LCVs for the full fiscal, according to a report by news agency ANI . The brokerage said that the industry may remain in a cautious phase in the near term, with a rebound largely dependent on rural demand recovery, fuel price stability, and broader economic conditions.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store