Seshadri Ramkumar, Professor, Texas Tech University, USA
Coimbatore, India-based The South India Textile Research Association (SITRA) today is conducting its 33rd Technological Conference after a hiatus of two years in hybrid mode. The need to grow the textile industry beyond its established strengths such as spinning and knitting is being discussed.
Dr. Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu, noted industrialist and the Chairman of Council of Administration of SITRA made a clarion call to the industry to actively participate in the research institute’s project. Noting that capacity addition is happening not only in spinning, but also in other areas such as home textiles, made-up garments, collaborative efforts are needed, added Dr. Jayavarthanavelu.
SITRA has been playing a vital role in helping the Indian textile sector enhance its knowledge base and manufacturing capability in medical textiles. Excellence in cotton R & D has to be translated into value-added textiles, stated Dr. S. K. Sundararaman, Vice-Chair of The Southern India Mills’ Association.
Dr. Prakash Vasudevan, Director of SITRA in his welcome address made a call for greater interaction of industry personnel with other institutes to translate technologies to commercial scale.
Industry-academia participation is vital in moving the textiles sector to the next level. In this aspect, a collaboration between this scribe and Aruppukottai-based Jayalakshmi Textiles, 73,000 spindles cotton spinning mill has resulted in a sustainable industrial textile product. Texas Tech University has been collaborating with this textile mill in developing value-added cotton products that have applications beyond the regular fiber to fashion supply chair. Translation of research to reality is need of the hour. Such technological conferences provide much needed support to grow the industry.
