Textile parks to boost knitwear industry

Expert says textile industry uses outdated technology

Though Ludhiana is a front runner in the knitting and garment industry of the country, it still lacks professionalism and awareness when it comes to adopting latest technologies and investment in research and development (R&D), according to Integrated Textile Park Managing Director Vinod Kumar Thapar.

Thapar said the development opportunities for the Indian textile industry, which is growing at 30 per cent annually, were enormous. He has recently been appointed member of the sub-group of the working group of the Eleventh Planning Commission.

"The industry has been passive towards R&D and the utilisation of latest technology in the past, but now there is a gradual change as the industry has realised the need for latest advancements to thrive in the global market. Ludhiana alone is going to have a textile and an apparel park and these projects, worth Rs 2,000 crore, are already under way," he added.

Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi Textile Technology Department Head VK Kothari, who was here in the city for a two-day workshop on "knitted fabric technology", said the knitwear industry had yet to utilise nano technologies.

"Our Indian industry is surviving on labour cost advantage but this would not continue for long,'' Kothari added.

Thapar said: "We are planning to establish a textile park as the hub of R&D. We have already tied up with the Fashion Technology Park, Mohali, and the Business School of Fashion, Chandigarh. We are trying to unite the scattered industry under one umbrella to bring in the long due reforms."