Professor Nachiappan Subramanian

Professor Nachiappan Subramanian, Professor of Operations & Logistics Management at the University of Sussex Business School, has been awarded the Indian Government’s prestigious VAIBHAV Fellowship for research into textile recycling supply chains in India.

The Fellowship, granted by India’s Department of Science & Technology (DST), aims to build bridges between India and its global scientific community by supporting collaborative research on pressing national and global challenges. The 2025 call saw 227 proposals submitted globally, with only 21 selected.

Addressing a global challenge through local innovation

Professor Subramanian’s project, conducted in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), is titled:

“Democratising the Textile Recycling Supply Chain in India: Leveraging AI to Overcome Decision-Making Challenges.”

The research focuses on accelerating the shift to a circular economy in India’s textile sector, a critical industry for both employment and environmental sustainability. It tackles the barriers preventing efficient, inclusive textile recycling and explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance decision-making across the supply chain.

The project will address three core questions:

• What structural and operational barriers hinder textile recycling in India?
• How can AI improve decision-making while considering risks and limitations?
• How can digital tools be made accessible to informal and marginalised supply chain actors?

The fellowship will support the development of several cutting-edge, inclusive tools:

• A Smart Sorting System to process textile waste more effectively
• A Predictive Analytics Dashboard to support sustainable business decisions
• A Circular Supply Chain Optimizer to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact
• A Digital Traceability Platform that promotes transparency and equity across the supply chain

These outcomes will not only contribute to India’s sustainability and digital innovation goals but also offer scalable insights for textile-producing countries worldwide, including the UK.

This fellowship exemplifies how international research partnerships can tackle shared global challenges. It also reflects the Business School’s commitment to research with impact and inclusive innovation.

“This is a truly outstanding and well-deserved achievement reflecting the ambition, quality and relevance of the project,” said Professor Ingrid Woolard, Executive Dean of the Business School. “It’s wonderful to see this prestigious recognition and international collaboration come together around such important work.”

Professor Subramanian said: “I’d like to thank colleagues at Sussex and IIT Delhi for their support during the application process. I am delighted to receive this important fellowship to carry out this research with real-world impact.”

We congratulate Professor Subramanian and look forward to the wider impact —not only in strengthening the future of India’s textile economy, but in contributing to more equitable and sustainable supply chains worldwide.

Discover more about our Global Supply Chain and Logistics Management MSc