<p>The shift to sustainable textile manufacturing has increased demand of eco-friendly natural thickeners as alternatives to synthetic chemicals in pigment printing. These biopolymers are extracted from plant gums, seed mucilage, marine polysaccharides, animal derivatives, and microbial sources, are biodegradable, non-toxic, and have functional rheology that makes them suitable for eco-printing.This review analyzes their sources, chemistry, and extraction techniques, which include aqueous leaching, enzymatic and alkaline treatments, fermentation, and microwave-assisted techniques. The emphasis is on sustainability and scalability. A key finding indicates&#xa0;that structural variability remains a challenge for standardization.Recent advances, including microbial polysaccharides, hybrid formulations, and rheological optimization, have increased their industrial scalability. Critical analysis&#xa0;emphasizes the integration of waste valorization and circular economy frameworks as opportunities for sustainable raw materials utilization. Industrial incentives such as government subsidies, tax holiday, research grants, and GOTS and OEKO-TEX certifications are increasing adoption by linking sustainability to market competitiveness and brand value. Findings suggest that natural thickeners are much capable of ensuring a transformative role in advancing eco-friendly pigment printing by enabling eco-innovations with industrial sustainability and circular economy advancement.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>