Textile Commissioner, Kavita Gupta speaking at the inauguration of joint technological conference of textile research associations said that textile industry need to focus on reviving technology and skills to bring the productivity levels of the industry at global standards and reinstate its higher share in the global trade.

She further said that the future of textile industry is going to be technical textiles. In the last five years, there had been 20 percent growth year-on-year in this segment. The sector should aim to be 40 percent of the country’s textile industry.

The centres of excellence created for technical textiles should look at having joint annual conferences as done by the research associations. The Union Government had allocated Rs. 200 crore under the technology mission for technical textiles and there is still some fund that is not spent. The centres should come forward with proposals, she said.

D. Krishnamurthy, chairman of the council of administration of South India Textile Research Association, said that the association had conducted 19 training programmes in the last one year. He also elaborated on the projects taken up and completed by the four textile research associations in the country.

The South India Textile Research Association has launched a portal for textile mills. The units can log in and register. They can submit the required data online and will get a consolidated report on the quality of fibre and yarn. Initially, it will be for 40s, 60s, 80s and 100 count yarn. This effort by SITRA is to establish standards for quality of yarn.