`A Sustainable Material That Cannot Scale Is Not Truly Sustainable’

Sustainability & Recycling

`A Sustainable Material That Cannot Scale Is Not Truly Sustainable’

In Surat - India’s Silk City and synthetic powerhouse - more than 800,000 looms feed a textile engine built largely on polyester and nylon. Watching mountains of non-biodegradable waste grow alongside this industrial success, Manisha Jasani saw both a problem and an opportunity. A textile design graduate and Co-Founder of Leafy Leather, she is transforming agricultural residues like corn husk and banana stem into high bio-content, plant-based leather alternatives. Her mission is clear: replace extractive materials with scalable, responsible innovation, without compromising performance or aesthetics.

When the textile and materials world hears your name, what should it stand for?

I’d like to be known as someone who makes sustainable materials practical - not just something that looks good in a presentation, but something that actually works on the factory floor.

For me, alternative materials have to perform well, make business sense, and scale. If they can’t be produced efficiently and adopted widely, they won’t create real change. Sustainability shouldn’t sit in a premium corner; it should become part of everyday material decisions.

Ultimately, I want to help build a textile ecosystem that values what works long term, materials that are adopted widely, made responsibly, and built to last.

Leafy Leather is working with plant-based leather alternatives made from corn and banana. What problem in the textile or material industry pushed you to explore this space?

The material industry today is largely trapped between two extremes - animal leather, which raises concerns around water usage, chemicals, and animal welfare, and synthetic leather, which is overwhelmingly petroleum-based, non-biodegradable, and dependent on PU or PVC.

At the same time, India generates massive volumes of agricultural waste that are underutilised or burned. We are surrounded by waste, yet still dependent on new materials, that contradiction is striking.

Leafy Leather was born from the belief that waste should be a resource, and that alternative materials must be developed keeping Indian manufacturing realities - cost, scale, and performance - in mind.

For textile professionals new to this concept - how would you technically define plant-based leather? How is it fundamentally different from PU, PVC, or traditional leather?

Plant-based leather is a composite sheet material where the base structure is derived primarily from plant fibres or biomass, bound using bio-based or hybrid binders, and finished to achieve leather-like performance.

Fundamentally:

· PU/PVC leather is a plastic coating on fabric

· Animal leather is processed animal hide

· Plant-based leather replaces the hide or plastic bulk with plant-derived content, using only a minimal protective top layer if required

At Leafy Leather, the core sheet - not just the coating - is plant-derived. This distinction is important because it determines real sustainability, not just surface claims.

Raw material innovation often struggles with market acceptance.

What were the earliest challenges you faced in convincing brands, buyers, or manufacturers to consider plant-based leather?

The biggest early challenge was unlearning, for both buyers and manufacturers.

There is a strong habit of evaluating new materials through the lens of existing ones: “Is it as cheap as PU?” or “Is it identical to animal leather?”

New materials require a new evaluation framework, focusing on fitness for purpose rather than one-to-one replacement.

Another challenge was skepticism created by greenwashing in the market. Many buyers had already been disappointed by so-called “vegan leathers” that were essentially plastic. Building trust required transparency, data, and patience.

From a business standpoint, what applications are currently most viable for plant-based leather?

Today, plant-based leather is most viable for:

· Accessories (bags, wallets, belts)

· Footwear uppers

· Corporate gifting

· Lifestyle and fashion products

These segments allow innovation while maintaining durability, aesthetics, and cost balance.

As formulations and processes mature, we see strong future potential in upholstery and interiors as well.

Scalability is a key concern in alternative materials. How has Leafy Leather approached production capacity, consistency, and quality control?

Scalability was built into our thinking from day one.

We work with:

· Regionally available agri-waste

· Modular production processes

· Standardised quality checkpoints

Rather than chasing lab-scale perfection, we focused early on repeatability, consistency, and manufacturability because a sustainable material that cannot scale is not truly sustainable.

Sustainability claims are under increasing scrutiny. How do you measure and communicate the real environmental impact of your materials beyond marketing narratives?

We believe sustainability must be measurable and transparent, not emotional marketing.

Our approach includes:

· Clear disclosure of material composition

· Honest communication about what is bio-based and what is not

· Third-party testing for performance and safety

· Avoiding exaggerated or misleading claims

We actively educate customers that sustainability is a journey of reduction and improvement, not perfection.

Cost remains a deciding factor for adoption. How do you balance innovation, sustainability, and commercial viability while pricing a next-generation material?

Cost discipline is critical especially in a price-sensitive market like India.

Today, our material is more affordable than most global or imported plant-based leather alternatives, but it is still relatively higher than PU and low-cost animal leather. This is largely due to the newness of the technology, higher bio-based content, and our current production scale.

We balance innovation and commercial viability by:

· Using locally sourced agricultural waste to reduce raw-material dependency

· Continuously optimising formulations to limit reliance on expensive inputs

· Developing multiple grades to suit different performance and price requirements

Sustainability cannot remain a premium concept. Our clear goal is to significantly reduce costs as we scale, so plant-based leather becomes a mainstream material choice, not one limited to niche or premium consumers.

As India positions itself as a global textile and manufacturing hub, what role do you see alternative materials like plant-based leather playing in this journey?

Alternative materials will be a strategic differentiator for India.

India has:

· Agricultural diversity

· Textile heritage

· Manufacturing depth

If leveraged correctly, plant-based materials can help India move from being a volume exporter to a value and innovation leader in global textiles.

How can traditional textile manufacturers or MSMEs integrate plant-based materials into their existing systems? What mindset or process shifts are required?

Integration does not require a complete overhaul or new machinery.

Plant-based materials do have slightly different handling characteristics, so manufacturers need to be open to experimenting and developing techniques suited to the material. This is not unusual; there has never been a single method that works for all materials. Even different grades of animal leather require different handling, adhesives, and finishing approaches.

When PU leather first entered the market, manufacturers also had to adapt and evolve new techniques. Plant-based materials follow a similar learning curve.

Most MSMEs can start by:

· Running limited pilot batches

· Allowing teams time to understand material behaviour during cutting, stitching, and finishing

· Collaborating early with material innovators to fine-tune processes

The biggest shift required is mindset - from expecting a drop-in replacement to embracing material-specific craftsmanship and experimentation.

From your experience, what are the most common misconceptions about plant-based leather alternatives?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that all plant-based leather must be 100% natural or fully biodegradable to be considered sustainable. In reality, material innovation, especially at an industrial scale, is about meaningful reduction of fossil-based inputs, not unrealistic absolutes. Durability, safety, and longevity are also essential components of sustainability.

Another common misconception is that plant-based materials are simply plastic in disguise. While some products in the market rely heavily on PU coatings and are marketed as “vegan leather,” true plant-based materials differ in that the core structure of the sheet is derived from plant content, not just the surface.

There is also an assumption that sustainability comes at the cost of performance, durability, or aesthetics. This may have been true in early experimental stages, but today many plant-based materials can meet functional requirements for a wide range of applications when used appropriately.

Finally, many expect plant-based leather to be a drop-in replacement for animal leather or PU across all uses. Every material, whether animal leather, PU, or plant-based, has its own behavior and ideal applications. Understanding and respecting these differences is key to successful adoption.

What advice would you give to entrepreneurs entering deep-tech or material innovation spaces within textiles? What should they be prepared for that is often underestimated?

First, start with the problem. Don’t build for hype, build for a real, meaningful issue. For us, it was agricultural waste, animal cruelty, and the long-term impact of synthetic materials. A strong problem statement will keep you grounded when the journey gets difficult.

Second, be patient and persistent. Sustainable material innovation takes time. We faced multiple setbacks - adhesives failed, finishers said no, and we overspent on R&D before getting things right. Persistence is what carries you through moments when progress feels slow or uncertain.

Third, think collaboration, not competition. The challenges we’re trying to solve are far bigger than any single company. Sharing learnings, building partnerships, and creating an ecosystem of solutions accelerates progress for everyone.

And finally, don’t be afraid to dream big. Even if your innovation replaces only a small fraction of conventional materials at first, it matters. Every step sets an example, shifts mindsets, and inspires others. That is how real change begins - and eventually scales.

Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of Leafy Leather and sustainable material innovation in India?

What excites me most is seeing real products in the hands of consumers, made responsibly, at scale. We are moving from experimentation to commercialisation, and that transition is both challenging and deeply fulfilling.

And finally, if Indian textiles had to be defined by one value in the next decade, what should it be, and why?

Responsibility.

Responsibility toward resources, people, ecosystems, and future generations.

If India can embed responsibility into innovation, scale, and pricing, we will define the future of global textiles.

What excites me most is seeing real products in the hands of consumers, made responsibly, at scale. We are moving from experimentation to commercialisation, and that transition is both challenging and deeply fulfilling.

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