ATIRA plans Asia's first testing lab in technical textiles

If the launch of National Technology Mission on Technical Textiles by Government of India wasn't enough evidence on the sector being a thrust area, now Ahmedabad Textile Industry's Research Association (ATIRA), an autonomous non-profit association for textile research, has embarked on setting up Asia's first testing and standardisation laboratory in technical textiles.

To be set up as part of a Centre of Excellence exclusively for technical textiles products at ATIRA, the laboratory will provide testing and standardisation facilities to the technical textiles industry. According to AK Sharma, director of ATIRA, the Centre of Excellence will support the existing as well as future technical textile industries in India "by providing them required resources in terms of technology, information, skilled manpower and quality".

The research association has already invited expression of interests (EOIs) from professional agencies for development of the centre. "We are in the process of finalising an agencies from the among the EOIs that we have received to develop the centre that will comprise Asia's first testing and standardisation laboratory in technical textiles. Such laboratories are currently available only in European and other western countries. The project cost is estimated to be around Rs 250 crore," said Sharma. The Centre of Excellence will be established and run by a special purpose vehicle (SPV), which will be formed by ATIRA and the Industrial Extension Bureau (iNDEXTb) of Government of Gujarat.

According to ATIRA, the project will be funded by Government of India, Government of Gujarat, ATIRA and industry partners. While both the central and state governments will majorly play the role of facilitator by funding this project, its representatives will be on the Board of Directors to oversee the implementation work at macro level.

Moreover, once established, the centre would provide knowledge and information service, research and development, testing and certification, education and training, and market research to the technical textile industry in the country.