Solving two of fashion’s biggest environmental crimes —water consumption and unsold inventory that ends up in landfill — Delhi-based fashion-tech company Indian Beautiful Art (IBA) has created its own unique Just In Time (JIT) technology, which manufactures garments to order, and turns fast fashion on its head.
After the customer chooses their size, colour, material and pattern using AR (Augmented Reality), the clothes are cut, printed, sewn and dispatched on demand within 48 hours.
From the customer’s point of view, they receive a garment as if it had existed as stock. From IBA’s point of view, they don’t waste time and resources creating an item nobody wants to buy.
The dying of textiles is the second biggest polluter of water in the world, and the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of all global carbon emissions — more than maritime shipping and international aviation put together.
IBA has developed a more sustainable way of producing clothes, using 60% less water than traditional textile manufacturing, eliminating waste, warehousing and labour costs, and creating a more efficient global supply chain.
Founded in 2015 by 32-year-old entrepreneur Nitin Kapoor, IBA was started with US$ 1million of seed money and now operates at a US$5 million run rate.
It took Kapoor 24 months to develop the JIT technology, also known as Textech, which he copyrighted with the Indian government under Just In Time Garments Manufacturing (JITGM).
The company makes men’s, women’s and children’s clothes, and sells on Amazon in the USA.
