The Ministry of Textiles convened the 2nd Coordination Committee Meeting of Textile Research Associations (TRAs) at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, under the chairpersonship of Smt. Neelam Shami Rao, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles.
The meeting focused on improving coordination, strengthening the effectiveness of Textile Research Associations and promoting greater outcome-orientation in textile research and development activities across the country.
Senior officers from the Ministry of Textiles, representatives of Textile Research Associations and officials from the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Department of Science & Technology, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and IITs, among others, participated in the meeting.
The full-day brainstorming session covered research priorities, technology development, innovation, industry linkages, commercialisation of R&D outcomes and institutional strengthening of TRAs.
Review of TRA Initiatives
The committee reviewed progress since the 1st Coordination Committee Meeting across several initiatives. These included strengthening equipment inventories and digital information through the i-TRAMS portal, constitution of sub-committees, identification of Centres of Excellence and New Age Fibres, and consultations on emerging areas of technical textiles.
Discussions also examined ways to align TRA activities more closely with national priorities and the changing requirements of the textile industry.
Key areas discussed included:
- Global benchmarking of Centres of Excellence
- Adoption of a structured Technology Readiness Assessment Framework
- Strengthening the startup and innovation ecosystem
- Development of a common e-library platform
- Mobilisation of external funding
- Effective implementation of projects under the National Technical Textiles Mission
- Membership growth
- Skill development
- Governance reforms
- Performance evaluation
Focus on Industry-Driven Research
The Government emphasised that research conducted by TRAs should increasingly be industry-driven, outcome-oriented and measurable.
Greater emphasis was placed on converting research into technologies, patents, prototypes, commercialisation opportunities, import substitution and practical solutions to industry challenges, particularly those faced by MSMEs.
The meeting also stressed that industry participation should begin at the conceptualisation stage of research to improve the relevance and adoption of R&D outcomes.
Five-Year and Annual Action Plans
The Five-Year Plans and Annual Action Plans for 2026–27 of TRAs are expected to establish a clear strategic roadmap covering R&D, technology development, testing and standardisation, capacity building, innovation and institutional collaborations.
Effective use of the i-TRAMS portal was also highlighted for monitoring activities, sharing information, mapping research capabilities and facilitating connections between industry requirements and TRA expertise.
KPI-Based Performance Evaluation
The meeting further underlined the importance of establishing a robust KPI-based performance evaluation framework supported by reliable data and periodic reviews.
The framework is intended to strengthen accountability, ensure effective utilisation of resources and support the timely achievement of measurable outcomes.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to strengthening India’s textile research ecosystem through greater collaboration among TRAs, industry, startups, academia and research institutions, with a focus on innovation, competitiveness, sustainability and technological advancement in the textile sector.