The Higg Index is a suite of sustainability measurement tools run by Cascale, the organisation formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. Many Indian mills do use it, usually because a brand customer has asked them to complete a module as a condition of doing business. It is not a certification in the way GOTS or OEKO-TEX are. It is a self-assessment framework with an optional verification step, and that distinction matters when you are reading a supplier's claims.
The tools most relevant to a buyer are the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM), which covers a factory's environmental management, and the Facility Social and Labor Module (FSLM), which covers working conditions. The Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) sits at a different level, scoring the impact of materials rather than factories. A mill in Ahmedabad or Surat that says it is on Higg usually means it has completed a FEM self-assessment for a brand customer.
What the modules cover
- Higg FEM: environmental management systems, energy, water, wastewater, emissions, waste and chemicals at facility level.
- Higg FSLM: social and labour practices at facility level, including wages, hours, health and safety and management systems.
- Higg MSI: a materials-level tool that compares the environmental impact of fibres and processes, used mostly by brand design and sourcing teams.
- Brand and product tools also exist, but they are used by brands themselves, not by mills.
Self-assessed versus verified
A completed module is a questionnaire the mill filled in about itself. A verified module means an approved third-party verifier visited the facility and checked the answers against evidence. When a supplier sends you a Higg score, ask which module, which year, and whether it is self-assessed or verified. A self-assessed score tells you the mill has engaged with the framework, while a verified score tells you something closer to the truth.
Scores are shared through the Cascale platform, and a mill can give you access to its module directly rather than sending a screenshot. Ask for platform sharing where you can. It also shows you the completion date, which matters because a module from several years ago may not reflect the facility you are buying from today.
How to use it in a sourcing decision
Treat Higg as one input alongside certificates, an audit and your own samples. It is strongest as a way to compare mills on environmental management and to track improvement year on year. It is weakest as a one-off pass or fail tool, because it was never designed to be one. If your company has its own supplier code, map the FEM and FSLM sections to it rather than sending the mill a separate questionnaire it has already answered.
Platform requirements change, and some brands set their own thresholds for what counts as acceptable. Confirm what your compliance team expects before you ask a mill to spend money on verification. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
How we help
We ask every shortlisted mill which Higg modules it has completed and whether they are verified before we put it in front of you, and we note this in the supplier profile. We check certificates on the certifier databases at the same time, so you see the full compliance picture in one document pack. If you would like a second opinion on a mill's claims, book a free 20-minute sourcing review and we will go through them with you.