The India ITME Society hosted a high-level networking programme titled “Fabricating the Future of Textile Industry: From Heritage to High-Tech” on 29 October 2025 in Singapore, bringing together textile leaders, policymakers, and global industry bodies to explore new opportunities for collaboration, trade, and technology partnerships. The event focused on strategic possibilities emerging from the UK–India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the Singapore CECA, especially in the textiles and textile machinery sectors.
Distinguished Guests (L-R) Mr. Senthil Kumar, Hon’ Treasurer, India ITME Society; Mr. Hemant Sharma, President – Polyester, Reliance Industries Ltd.; Mr. Rohit Kansal (I.A.S), Additional Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Govt of India; H. E. Dr. Shilpak Ambule (IFS), High Commissioner of India to Singapore; Mr Jason Kent, CEO, British Textile Machinery Association; Mr. Ketan Sanghvi, Chairman, India ITME Society; Dr. Seema Srivastava, Executive Director, India ITME Society.
A Strategic India Business Evening
Held just after Diwali and alongside CITME+ASIA Singapore, the India Business Evening served as an exclusive forum to promote dialogue, sourcing, and partnerships in textiles, textile technology, and machinery.
The event drew 183 delegates from the USA, UK, China, Sweden, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Turkey, Germany, and Singapore—highlighting the global interest in India’s fast-growing textile sector.
This initiative is part of India’s larger strategic push to strengthen international alliances, accelerate technology sourcing, and encourage manufacturing collaborations—with an aim to deliver shared economic growth.
India Positioned as a Global Textile Machinery Hub
Mr Rohit Kansal (IAS), Additional Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, emphasised India’s rapid ascent as a global centre for weaving and knitting machinery installations. He reiterated that India—home to 1.4 billion consumers—is one of the world’s most dynamic markets, offering strong potential for investments and collaborations across the textile machinery and apparel value chain.
Under his leadership, the Indian delegation held discussions with representatives from:
- British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA)
- Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI)
- International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF)
- Turkish Textile Machinery & Accessories Industrialists Association (TEMSAD)
- Textile Machinery Association of Sweden (TMAS)
- China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA)
- The Federation of Merchants’ Associations, Singapore
These dialogues underscored the mutual ambition to create joint ventures, modernise manufacturing, and strengthen supply-chain partnerships.
Attendees from across the Globe
India–Singapore: Strong Bilateral Trade Momentum
H.E. Dr Shilpak Ambule (IFS), High Commissioner of India to Singapore, highlighted Singapore’s position as India’s sixth-largest trading partner and its most significant partner in ASEAN.
India remains a major garment supplier, while Singapore continues to act as a hub for distribution, design, branding, and retail—making the bilateral relationship uniquely complementary.
India’s Textile Industry: Engine of Economic Growth
Representing India’s textile sector, Mr Hemant Sharma, President – Polyester, Reliance Industries Ltd., noted that textiles remain central to India’s manufacturing growth. He highlighted the sector’s role in driving employment, innovation, and exports, and its potential to become a trusted global sourcing hub as India works toward a $30 trillion economy by 2047.
UK–India FTA: A Transformative Opportunity
The newly strengthened UK–BTMA engagement drew significant attention.
Mr Jason Kent, CEO, BTMA, called the UK–India FTA a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to reshape global textile trade. He noted:
- The FTA will enable a new era of co-creation, combining India’s manufacturing power and digital capability with the UK’s strengths in design, R&D, and sustainability.
- This alignment can help establish a more balanced and forward-looking global textile ecosystem.
India’s Economic Strength Reinforced
Mr Sanghvi, Chairman, India ITME Society, pointed out that India’s festive spending during Diwali 2025 surged by 25% compared to 2024 figures—reflecting a robust and confident economy. He reiterated the industry’s potential to weave an inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous future.
He also confirmed India ITME Society’s continued efforts to build global partnerships, with a major upcoming platform:
India ITME 2026
Dates: 4–9 December 2026
Venue: IEML, Greater Noida
This flagship event is positioned as Southeast Asia’s most significant textile engineering exhibition, expected to drive new collaborations, trade opportunities, and technology advancements.