Grain sacks to runway fashion: India’s battle to rebrand jute

India promotes jute as fabric for sustainable future, with government saying all grains should be packed in jute sacks.

From the boutiques of Christian Dior to royal wedding favours, jute is growing in popularity worldwide as the demand for alternatives to plastic soars, with experts predicting the bag industry alone will be worth more than $3bn by 2024.

India is desperate to capitalise on this consumer shift and seize the opportunity to revive its flagging industry, expanding it from sacks and gunny bags to fashion.

Also known as sackcloth, hessian, or burlap, the fibre is hailed by environmentalists because growing it can help with carbon capture, and it uses less natural resources than cotton.