The contribution of the Coimbatore-based, South India Textile Research Association (SITRA) came in for high praise from several dignitaries at its Diamond Jubilee celebration held on January 22.
The Union Textile Minister, Mr. Santhosh Kumar Gangwar, who was the Chief Guest on the occasion, lauded SITRA’s continued contribution to the textile industry over the last 60 years. In his inaugural address, he said: “The Textile Ministry will continue to support the institution’s initiatives so that the benefits of research could reach all the stakeholders of the industry.”
SITRA has grown from a small institution having just two divisions to one that now has eight divisions and is helping over 250 textile units in this key textile cluster.
Delivering the keynote address on the occasion, Mr. T. Kannan, Managing Director, Thiagarajar Mills, urged SITRA to come out with quick training modules which can be accessed over its online resources. Steps could be taken in the direction of transforming SITRA into a premier educational institution.
SITRA’s efforts towards promotion of technical textiles were lauded by the other speakers. The Textile Commissioner, Kavita Gupta, said that technical textiles is one of the focus areas of the textile ministry. Airing similar views, the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Anu Garg, stated that technical textiles are a priority area for the Ministry and steps are being taken to further strengthen this segment’s growth potential.
The other speakers on the occasion included Mr. R.K. Dalmia, Chairman, Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council, Mr. J. Thulasidharan, Vice-Chairman, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), and Mr. D. Krishnamurthy, Chairman, Council of Administration, SITRA, among others.
TEA visit
On January 23, 2016, the Textile Minister visited Tirupur and addressed an ‘Exporters Meet’ at Tirupur Exporters Association (TEA) premises. He also unveiled the revamped TEA website on the occasion.
In his welcome address, Dr. A. Sakthivel, TEA President, thanked the Minister for the measures taken for further strengthening the textile industry.
TEA submitted a detailed memorandum to the Minister, suggesting steps to be taken to improve the textile export performance.