Recently, the incident of Prime Minister Narendra Modi wearing a jacket made of recycled material from plastic (PET) bottles to the Parliament was in the news. Prime Minister Modi came to Rajya Sabha last Wednesday during the session of Parliament. This time he was seen wearing a light blue ‘Sadri’ jacket. The jacket was presented to the Prime Minister by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) when he arrived in Bangalore on February 6 to inaugurate India Energy Week.
Senthil Shankar, Managing Partner, Sri Renga Polymers shared this in an exclusive interview with Asianet’s Gargi Chaudhary.
Question 1: How did you come up with the idea of making sustainable textiles?
Shankar: They are manufacturers of recycled polyesters. We have been making it for the past fifteen years. We take PET bottles and make them into polyester fibers. Then it is converted into fiber yarn and then into fabric and garments. We decided to take their idea all over India. It’s good to launch a brand, raise awareness, get people to embrace sustainable fashion. People need to be more conscious about this matter, change will surely come. Now Prime Minister Modi is wearing these clothes which have gained importance. He is an inspiration to many MSME people.
Question 2 : How did you make this jacket? Explain the process..?
Shankar: After people throw away the PET bottles, the waste collectors take them to the mandis. Our people will receive the bottles there. Then we compress them and turn them into powder. It is then converted into fibers by drying, melting, and other processes. Yarns and fabrics are brought into the traditional textile process and cut into the desired shape.
Question 3: How did your company approach Prime Minister Modi..?
Shankar: He chose us. Indian Oil Corporation approached us for India Energy Week. Earlier, they presented the same jacket in Chandan color to Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.. He liked it very much. However, many permissions and protocol problems stood in the way of this dress reaching the PMO. We have sent many fabrics and colors to the authorities. After various tests, PM Modi finally chose the color blue. Later, Chairman of IOCL presented the jacket to Prime Minister Modi in Bangalore.
While he was in a meeting with the staff…my family members and friends sent him videos related to this. It went viral when Prime Minister Modi went to Parliament wearing it. It made them feel great. The greatness of MSME companies is known to the outside world because of the Prime Minister. Modi encouraged us by wearing a jacket.
Question 4: How to deal with plastic scenario in India..?
Shankar: Plastic is available in many varieties. They can only be partially removed. However, we need plastic in daily life. Also they should be eradicated in a proper manner. As citizens, it is not our responsibility to separate and dispose of waste. We leave this task to the garbage collectors. But how do we throw away plastic when there is a facility to recycle it? The recycling industry should be encouraged by the people as well as the government.
Question 5: Your future projects
Shankar: We are currently working online with Amazon and Flipkart. We are also making plans for retail sales. The idea is to spread sustainable garments all over India.
