Dr. M.S Parmar
Director General
Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA)
1. Your centre is dedicated to advancing research and capacity building in technical textiles, particularly for industrial applications. How does it position itself within India’s technical textiles ecosystem, and what advantages does the integration of Textile Technology and Automobile Engineering bring to innovation in the Mobiltech sector?
NITRA has been at the forefront of textile research, testing, innovation, and skill development for over five decades. As a Centre of Excellence, NITRA serves as a bridge between academia, industry, government, and end-user sectors. Within India’s technical textiles ecosystem, NITRA plays a strategic role by supporting product development, testing and certification, standardization, skill development, and technology transfer.
Under the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), NITRA has been entrusted with a Skill Development Programme in the Mobiltech sector, aimed at creating a skilled workforce for the rapidly growing field of automotive
Further strengthening its role in the sector, NITRA is a core member of the newly constituted Task Force on Mobiltech under Technical Textiles by the Ministry of Textiles (MoT), Govt. of India. In this capacity, NITRA contributes to driving technological innovation, spearheading material testing and evaluation, providing technical validation of new products and processes, and supporting the development of industry standards and best practices.
2. Mobiltech includes a wide range of automotive applications—from interiors and safety systems to reinforcement and insulation materials. What are the key application areas your centre is currently focusing on, and how do these align with evolving global automotive textile
requirements?
NITRA is actively engaged in research and development across several key Mobiltech application areas, with a strong focus on aligning our work with evolving global automotive requirements such as lightweighting and environmental sustainability.
One of NITRA’s significant initiatives in the Mobiltech sector has been undertaken in collaboration with the National Jute Board through a project focused on the development of jute-based composite materials for automotive acoustic insulation and other automotive applications. The primary objective of the project was to design and develop sustainable composite materials using natural fibres while optimizing fibre composition and processing parameters to achieve the desired acoustic, mechanical, and physical performance characteristics.
As part of this work, NITRA successfully developed Jute/Polypropylene (Jute/PP) composite roof liners for automotive applications. The developed samples were extensively evaluated for their physical, mechanical, and acoustic insulation properties and were found to meet commercial performance requirements. The project clearly demonstrated the potential of natural-fibre composites as lightweight, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable alternatives to conventional automotive interior materials.
The technology has successfully progressed beyond laboratory development and has resulted in commercial products. Roof liners developed under the project have been supplied for applications in M/s Volvo Trucks (India) and M/s Sonalika Tractors, while additional automotive components such as parcel trays have also been developed using the same composite technology.
To support quality assurance and wider industry adoption, NITRA has further prepared a draft Indian Standard titled “Jute-Based Roofliner Used in Automobiles for Acoustic Purposes – Specification,” which has been submitted to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for consideration as a new national standard.
3. With the global shift toward electric mobility, material requirements are changing—particularly in lightweighting, thermal insulation, and acoustic management. How is your research adapting to address the specific textile needs of electric vehicles, especially in areas such as battery insulation, thermal management, and noise reduction?
The growing adoption of electric vehicles is driven by environmental concerns, rising fuel costs, and the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Recent geopolitical tensions, including the Iran–US conflict, have further highlighted the importance of electric mobility as a sustainable and energy-secure alternative
To address the evolving requirements of EVs, NITRA is focusing its research on lightweight textile structures, advanced thermal insulation materials, and multifunctional textile composites. Our work includes the development of battery insulation and thermal barrier materials using high-performance and sustainable fibres to enhance battery safety and thermal management.
NITRA is also developing sound-absorbing nonwovens and textile composites to reduce road, wind, and vibration noise, thereby improving passenger comfort while maintaining low vehicle weight. Through these innovations, we aim to support the development of safer, lighter, and more energy-efficient electric vehicles.
4. Sustainability is becoming central to automotive material innovation, with growing interest in recyclable, bio-based, and low-impact textile solutions. What initiatives is NITRA undertaking in sustainable Mobiltech materials, including biodegradable fibres or circular design approaches?
Sustainability is a key focus area for NITRA’s Mobiltech research. The institute is actively developing natural fibre-based composite materials using jute, hemp, flax, and other emerging bio-based fibres for lightweight automotive applications. NITRA’s work on jute composites has demonstrated significant potential for vehicle interior components, acoustic panels, and insulation materials, offering reduced weight and lower environmental impact compared to conventional materials.
NITRA is exploring the use of natural fibres such as jute, flax, hemp, and other renewable materials in automotive components where performance requirements permit. We are also encouraging circular economy approaches by supporting recyclability assessments, material recovery strategies, and life-cycle evaluation of textile products.
The goal is to help the automotive sector reduce its environmental footprint while maintaining performance, durability, and safety standards.
5. High-performance fibres such as nylon, polyester, aramids, and advanced composites play a critical role in automotive applications. Which materials and fibre technologies are your centre prioritizing, and how are you contributing to the development of next-generation automotive textiles?
Recognizing the strategic importance of specialty fibres, NITRA has undertaken a research project under the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) focused on the development of advanced flame-retardant Nylon 66 materials. The project aims to develop indigenous high-performance Nylon 66-based technical textile products that can reduce dependence on imports while addressing the growing requirements of automotive, mobility, and protective textile sectors.
6. India’s technical textiles sector, including Mobiltech, is witnessing steady growth driven by automotive expansion and policy support. How is NITRA contributing to strengthening domestic capabilities, and what is your outlook on India’s role in the global Mobiltech value chain?
NITRA contributes to strengthening domestic capabilities through research and development, testing and certification services, standards development, technology transfer, consultancy, and skill development programmes. We actively support manufacturers in developing indigenous products that meet international quality requirements and reduce dependence on imports.
India possesses significant strengths, including a large textile manufacturing base, a rapidly expanding automotive industry, strong engineering capabilities, and supportive government initiatives such as the National Technical Textiles Mission. We believe India is well-positioned to emerge as a major global supplier of automotive textile products and advanced Mobiltech solutions over the coming decade.
7. The centre has been supported through significant funding from the Ministry of Textiles, along with institutional contributions, to establish advanced infrastructure. Could you elaborate on your testing, prototyping, and validation facilities, and how they support industry collaboration and product development?
NITRA has established a state-of-the-art infrastructure for testing, evaluation, and product development in technical textiles. Our facilities support fibre, yarn, fabric, nonwoven, coated textile, composite, and automotive textile testing in accordance with national and international standards.
NITRA has received funding from the Ministry of Textiles for the Centre of Excellence in Protective Textiles. However, the Ministry has also advised NITRA to take up activities related to the Centre of Excellence for Mobiltech and contribute towards research, testing, and technology development in the automotive and mobility textiles sector.
The Centre of Excellence provides facilities for material characterization, physical and mechanical performance testing, flammability assessment, comfort evaluation, product development, and prototype validation. These capabilities enable manufacturers to accelerate innovation, verify compliance requirements, improve product quality, and reduce time-to-market.
The infrastructure also facilitates collaborative research projects with industry partners, helping transform innovative concepts into commercially viable products.
8. Collaboration is critical for innovation in technical textiles. What partnerships has your centre developed with automotive OEMs, textile manufacturers, and research institutions, and how do these collaborations facilitate technology transfer and commercialisation?
NITRA has successfully translated their research into commercial applications through close collaboration with industry partners. The jute-based composite technology developed by NITRA has been adopted for manufacturing automotive roof liners, which have been supplied for use in vehicles produced by Volvo Trucks (India) and Sonalika Tractors. In addition, other automotive components, such as parcel trays, have also been developed using the same technology.
These collaborations allow us to identify emerging industry requirements, conduct application-oriented research, validate new technologies, and facilitate commercialization. Industry participation ensures that research outcomes remain practical, scalable, and aligned with market needs.
As mentioned earlier, NITRA is a core member of the newly constituted Mobiltech Task Force under the MoT. We actively engage with industry stakeholders through joint research projects, product evaluation programmes, technical consultancy, and training initiatives.
9. With the increasing demand for specialised expertise in Mobiltech, how is NITRA contributing to skill development? Could you highlight any dedicated training programmes, industry-oriented courses, or hands-on learning initiatives for students and professionals?
Skill development is one of NITRA’s core strengths. We regularly conduct training programmes, workshops, seminars, certification courses, and industry-focused capacity-building initiatives covering technical textiles, quality assurance, testing methodologies, standards, and emerging technologies.
Through our Centre of Excellence and industry partnerships, participants gain hands-on exposure to testing equipment, product development processes, manufacturing technologies, and application-specific requirements. These programmes help create a skilled workforce capable of supporting the growth of India’s Mobiltech sector.
As already informed, under the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), NITRA has been entrusted with a Skill Development Programme in the Mobiltech sector, aimed at creating a skilled workforce for the rapidly growing automotive and mobility textiles industry.
10. The Mobiltech segment faces challenges related to cost-intensive manufacturing, stringent safety regulations, and evolving material standards. From your perspective, what are the key technical and regulatory challenges, and what innovations or research directions will shape the future of automotive textiles through 2030 and beyond?
The Mobiltech sector must address several challenges, including balancing cost competitiveness with high performance requirements, meeting increasingly stringent safety and environmental regulations, ensuring recyclability, and adapting to rapid technological changes associated with electric and autonomous mobility.
Future innovation will focus on lightweight multifunctional materials, sustainable and recyclable textile systems, smart textiles with sensing capabilities, advanced composites, high-performance nonwovens, battery safety solutions, and digitally enabled manufacturing technologies.
NITRA is also actively contributing to standardization efforts through its participation in BIS Committee TXD 38 for Mobiltech applications under my chairmanship. To date, 22 Indian Standards have been developed with NITRA’s active contribution, while around 20 additional standards are currently under development. These standards will play a crucial role in enhancing quality, safety, and global competitiveness of India’s automotive textile sector.
Looking ahead to 2030 and beyond, automotive textiles will become increasingly intelligent, sustainable, lightweight, and functional. NITRA remains committed to supporting this transformation through research, innovation, testing, standardization, and skill development, thereby contributing to India’s emergence as a global leader in technical textiles and future mobility solutions.