ITAMMA Hosts MMF Awareness Seminars at Panipat & Ludhiana

ITAMMA (Indian Textile Accessories & Machinery Manufacturers’ Association) continued its knowledge-sharing mission with back-to-back seminars at Panipat and Ludhiana on “Trends of Man-Made Textiles – A Challenge or Opportunity to Stakeholders in Manufacturing and Trading of Textiles and Machines.” These events focused on educating stakeholders on global MMF (man-made fibre) trends, sustainability, and the future of textile machinery.

Panipat Seminar – 29th August 2025
Opening the seminar, Mr. N. D. Mhatre, Director General (Tech), ITAMMA, highlighted that global demand for MMF textiles is rapidly rising. He urged members to prepare by innovating and upgrading machinery and accessories to efficiently run man-made textiles. He also noted the increasing demand for artificial textile machinery, with India’s $2.5 billion textile machinery industry growing at 5% annually.

Mr. Omprakash Mantry, President, ITAMMA delivering Welcome Address

ITAMMA President, Mr. Omprakash Mantry, in his welcome speech, addressed the global textile waste crisis, noting, “Every second, a garbage truck’s worth of clothes ends up in landfills globally—amounting to a staggering 92 million tons of textile waste annually. Against this grim backdrop, Panipat’s efforts are crucial in tackling the global textile waste crisis.” He praised Panipat’s role as a recycling hub, handling around 250 tons of textile waste daily and contributing ₹50,000 crore annually, including ₹12,000 crore in exports, while providing employment to 8–10 lakh workers.

Mr. Ritesh Singla, Director (Corporate Relations & Placements), Panipat Institute of Engineering & Technology (PIET), presented institutional facilities supporting industry growth and in-house AI-driven projects.
Mr. Vikas Sharma, Principal Consultant – Textiles, Gherzi Consulting Engineers Pvt. Ltd., detailed MMF trends, stating that MMF is reshaping the textile industry, not just as a substitute but as the backbone of the value chain. He emphasized that early modernization, investment in recycling infrastructure, and sustainability integration will secure competitive advantage.

Mr. Manoj Sharma, AGM SIDBI, elaborated on financial schemes available to support textile industry development.
Mr. Vikrant Singh Dhankhar, NEXA Solar Pvt. Ltd. (TATA Rooftop Partner), discussed solar solutions for the textile sector.
Chief Guest, Mr. Vinod Khandelwal, President, Haryana Chamber of Commerce & Industry, called for technical support from institutes and government to help Panipat’s recycling and blanket industry focus on product and process development.
In the vote of thanks, Mr. Rajmeet Dhammu, Director, Dashmesh Jacquard & Powerloom Pvt. Ltd., appreciated the session’s focus on AI’s role in product development, process optimization, and manpower efficiency.

Ludhiana Seminar – 30th August 2025
Mr. N. D. Mhatre reiterated ITAMMA’s efforts to strengthen industry integration, noting that this seminar emphasized forward integration by involving NITMA, a user-industry association, to understand customer needs and encourage innovation through reverse engineering principles.

Mr. Omprakash Mantry highlighted Ludhiana’s importance as a major hub for woollen and acrylic knitwear brands like Duke and Monte Carlo. He stressed that despite competition, rising costs, and past economic disruptions, the industry is adopting sustainability practices, digital printing, and circular economy models to stay competitive.

Dr. Debasish Banerjee, CEO & Executive Director, Blackstone Synergy Consulting, and Mr. Sanjay Sharma, OEM Saurer (Schlafhorst), shared insights on Ludhiana’s development opportunities.
Mr. Chandandeep Singh, Principal Consultant – Textiles, Gherzi Consulting Engineers, presented MMF demand projections, stating global fibre demand will reach 143 million tons by 2030, with MMF driving the growth. He called for India to scale domestic MMF capacity, invest in recycling and functional fabrics, and adopt compliance and traceability systems to remain globally competitive.

The seminars concluded with a strong call to action: map fibre and data flows, invest in recycling infrastructure, and adopt sustainability standards early. ITAMMA reinforced its commitment to empowering stakeholders with insights to align with global MMF growth trends and stay ahead in the evolving textile landscape.