India has an estimated 64 million MSMEs, 99 per cent of them being micro enterprises. A significant proportion of these enterprises are represented industry associations and chambers of commerce. also called Business Membership Organizations (BMOs). BMOs provide a variety of business-related services to promote the competitiveness of their members as well as non-members.

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Over the years, BMOs are also playing an important role in promoting responsible business among MSMEs, thereby helping India achieve her COP 26 target of (a) reduction of carbon intensity (emission intensity of GDP) by 45 per cent from the 2005 levels by 2030, (b) achieving Net Zero by 2070, (c) increase forest cover that will absorb 2.5 to 3 billion tons of CO2e by 2030 and (d) adopt a “Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE)” – a lifestyle that does not harm our planet.

 

Industry contributes a good 20 percent of the 4 billion tonnes of Co2e emission in India. Textiles and apparels companies constitute 42 percent of Indian MSMEs. This Award is therefore targeting BMOs who have textiles, apparels or their value chain partners (manufacturers, serviced providers and traders) as their members.