In a major step toward sharpening India’s textile innovation ecosystem, the Ministry of Textiles convened the first Coordination Committee Meeting of Textile Research Associations (TRAs) at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The full-day brainstorming session was held in the gracious presence of Union Minister of Textiles Shri Giriraj Singh and under the chairpersonship of Secretary (Textiles) Smt. Neelam Shami Rao, bringing together senior ministry officials, leading representatives of TRAs, Export Promotion Councils (EPCs), and academic partners including IIT Delhi.
The meeting set the tone for a more integrated and outcome-oriented national textile research framework, aimed at improving coordination, effectiveness, and real-world impact of R&D efforts across the sector.
Deliberations focused on the strategic role of TRAs in strengthening fibre science, accelerating the development of technical textiles, and driving sustainability-led innovation. Participants underscored the need to adopt a clear “Research for Industry” approach, ensuring that scientific work directly supports industrial application and competitiveness. Special emphasis was laid on reinforcing Centres of Excellence (CoEs), particularly in sustainability and recycling, as critical pillars for the sector’s future.
Key priorities identified during the discussions included upgrading laboratory infrastructure to global benchmarks, fostering industry-driven and application-oriented research, and developing sustainable and circular textile solutions. The Committee also stressed the importance of building a coordinated national textile research roadmap that aligns public research institutions with industry demand.
Highlighting emerging opportunities, the Ministry pointed to the growing relevance of smart textiles and called for deeper convergence with other Government R&D initiatives, including schemes under CSIR. Greater collaboration with academic institutions was encouraged to enhance knowledge sharing and accelerate innovation. Participants discussed advanced research themes such as predictive modelling, eco-efficient material blends, electronic fibres, and next-generation e-textile systems for applications in healthcare, defence, and intelligent environments.
Flagship initiatives of the Government, including the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), PM MITRA Parks, and various export promotion and support schemes, were reiterated as powerful enablers to translate research into scalable outcomes, boost competitiveness, and strengthen India’s global positioning in textiles.
The meeting concluded with a collective resolve to deepen coordination among TRAs and leverage research, innovation, and collaboration to support the long-term growth of the Indian textile industry and its ambition to emerge as a global leader.