NEW DELHI: The eighth edition of the R|Elan Circular Design Challenge (RCDC), organised by Reliance Industries Limited's R|Elan in partnership with the United Nations in India and Lakmé Fashion Week, has completed its global jury rounds, announcing four India finalists who will now compete alongside international innovators in the next phase of the global circular fashion competition.

Selected from a highly competitive field, the India finalists are Botto Labs by Nitya Amarnath for developing bio-based sequins to replace plastic alternatives, Saloni Jhaveri for transforming discarded textiles into innovative fashion, Duja by Ustat Kharbanda for upcycling post-consumer textile waste into apparel, and Margn by Saurabh Maurya for promoting contemporary fashion rooted in craftsmanship and circular design.

The India jury comprised leading figures from the fashion, sustainability and business sectors, including Ainee Nizami Ahmedi, Shaleena Nathani, Karishma Shahani Khan, Rakesh Bali of Reliance Industries, and Darshana Gajare of Lakmé Fashion Week.

The global challenge also selected regional finalists from Europe, the United Kingdom and the Asia Pacific region. Europe was represented by Yoshita 1967 by Anil Padia, the United Kingdom by RWRK Studio by Farouk Braimoh, and the Asia Pacific & Beyond region by BYO by Tommy Tedji.

This year's competition attracted more than 220 applications from around the world, with 23 semi-finalists shortlisted across four regions. Following the regional jury rounds, seven global finalists have advanced to the Grand Jury, which will be held at the United Nations House in New Delhi.

The finalists will present their collections during the finale showcase at the Embassy of France in India as part of Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI in October, coinciding with the India–France Year of Innovation 2026. The winner and runner-up of the eighth edition of the challenge will be announced after the final presentations.

Congratulating the India finalists, Rakesh Bali, Senior Vice President – PetChem, Reliance Industries Limited, said the selected innovators demonstrated India's growing leadership in circular fashion through bold ideas and sustainable innovation. He reaffirmed the company's commitment to supporting emerging entrepreneurs with mentorship, material innovation and business opportunities.

Jaspreet Chandok, Group Vice President, Reliance Brands Limited, said the finalists reflected the growing strength of Indian entrepreneurs in creating commercially viable and environmentally responsible fashion solutions.

Stefan Priesner, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, said the challenge continues to bring together designers, businesses and institutions to promote circular solutions that contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable global fashion industry.

The R|Elan Circular Design Challenge has emerged as one of India's leading global platforms promoting innovation in circular fashion by supporting designers and startups developing scalable, environmentally sustainable business models.