Barriers to Digital Product Passport Adoption for Circular Economy Implementation: A Case of the Indian Textile Industry
Dr. Pinosh Kumar Hajoary
Speaker
Dr. Pinosh Kumar Hajoary
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor in the School of Business at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati
Date
30 October 2026
11:00
Venue
Seminar Hall, Department of Management Studies, IISc, Bengaluru
Abstract
This seminar presents The global textile industry is a major contributor to the growing environmental crisis, and the European Union’s mandatory Digital Product Passport (DPP) regulations, set to take effect from 2027, pose both challenges and opportunities for India’s handloom sector. Although Assam has a rich handloom heritage, little research has examined DPP adoption in informal, artisan-based economies. This study identifies the barriers to and implementation challenges of DPP adoption in Assam’s handloom sector. The research was conducted in two stages. First, a scoping review of the existing literature was carried out to identify the research gap and frame the core research questions. Second, semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders, including academic experts, supervisors, traders, and managers, and the data were analysed using the Gioia methodology. The findings reveal six prominent barriers: lack of awareness, inadequate digital skills, insufficient infrastructure, limited understanding of the potential benefits, lack of policy support, and the absence of targeted government schemes. The study contributes to the emerging literature on DPP adoption in informal economies and offers practical insights for policymakers, industry bodies, and support institutions seeking to prepare artisan-based sectors for traceability and sustainability requirements in global markets. Keywords: Digital Product Passport; handloom sector; Assam; informal economy; circular economy; Gioia methodology.
About the Speaker
Dr. Pinosh Kumar Hajoary
Assistant Professor in the School of Business at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati
Dr. Pinosh Kumar Hajoary is an Assistant Professor in the School of Business at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati. He previously served as an Assistant Professor at IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur. He earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, under the supervision of Prof. Balachandra Patil in 2021, and subsequently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Stuttgart, Germany. Over the course of his academic career, he was selected for the prestigious Newton-Bhabha Ph.D. Placement Programme, funded by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). During his doctoral studies, he was also awarded the DAAD Fellowship by the German government and was selected for the Sakura Science Exchange Program of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). In addition, he has received the UGC Professional Scholarship, the ONGC Merit Scholarship, Anundoram Borooah Assam State Scholarship, and the LIC Golden Jubilee Scholarship. His research focuses on business strategy, circular economy, and technology management. Dr. Hajoary has successfully completed several national and international research projects. Most recently, he was selected as a Sakura Science Fellow by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) in collaboration with the University of Tokyo, Japan..
Additional Information
All are welcome to attend.
This study examines the barriers and implementation challenges associated with adopting Digital Product Passports (DPPs) in Assam’s handloom sector in response to emerging EU regulations. Using a scoping review and semi-structured stakeholder interviews, the study analyses the findings through the Gioia methodology. Six key barriers are identified: limited awareness, inadequate digital skills and infrastructure, insufficient understanding of benefits, weak policy support, and a lack of targeted government schemes. The study addresses a research gap concerning DPP adoption in informal, artisan-based economies. It offers practical insights for policymakers, industry bodies, and support institutions to strengthen digital readiness, traceability, and sustainability in India’s handloom sector.
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