A'bad body to conduct R&D in protective textiles for DRDO

Be it the Army jawans braving the chilly winds at the Indian borders in their specially designed uniforms or fighter aircraft landing on the tarmac, Defence gear will soon find their roots in Ahmedabad.

The Defence Research and Development Corporation (DRDO) has assigned a research project on protective technical textiles to city-based Ahmedabad Textile Industry's Research Association (ATIRA).

Under the project, ATIRA will be required to conduct R&D on non-woven and technical textiles utilised in Defence and combat. "The association will be conducting R&D for DRDO on products falling under the protective technical textile category like bullet proof vests and jackets, Defence uniforms, and even aircraft arresters," said a source close to the development.

An aircraft arrester barrier is a system installed on each end of the runway to stop forward momentum of an aircraft overshooting the runway, in the case of emergency. While overshooting the runway, the aircraft is arrested or engaged in a net made of nylon tapes called Multi Element Net Assembly (MENA), which forms a part of protective technical textiles.

The ATIRA officials were tightlipped about the project citing confidentiality. However, sources added that the project was likely to be completed by the end of 2008.

Manufactured for non-aesthetic purposes, technical textile products are yet to gain prominence in the overall textile industry. Nevertheless, the sector is finding its foot with the growing need of such materials across industries.

Apart from protective textile, the sector also includes agro textile, geo textile, medical textiles, auto textiles, among others.

ATIRA has conducted several seminars and workshops to increase awareness about the sector.