ITTA Holds 16th AGM and Award Ceremony, Recognises Technical Textile Innovations

Indian Technical Textile Association presents Lifetime Achievement and Innovation Awards at Mumbai event

The Indian Technical Textile Association (ITTA) held its 16th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Award Ceremony on 12th September 2026 at Ginger Mumbai Airport Hotel, Mumbai. The event brought together ITTA members, special invitees and press media representatives, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Textiles and industry representatives.

The meeting was conducted under the Chairmanship of Shri. Mahesh Kudav, with Shri. Anil Kumar Vasupillai, Executive Director, ITTA, delivering the welcome address. Dr. Nandan Kumar, Vice Chairman, addressed members and conducted the Business Session.

Government and Industry Representatives Attend AGM

Shri. Ajay Pandit, Additional Textile Commissioner, Office of the Textile Commissioner, Government of India, attended the AGM as Chief Guest. In his address, he recalled his association with the formation and early journey of ITTA and acknowledged the collective efforts behind the Association’s establishment and development.

He also referred to ITTA’s growth from its inception into an industry association with a growing membership representing the technical textile sector. He encouraged ITTA and its members to continue working with the Ministry of Textiles on policy, regulatory and industry matters.

Shri. Kartikay Dhanda, Secretary & CEO, Textile Committee, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, attended as Guest of Honour. He discussed ITTA’s role as a link between the technical textile industry and the government and reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening the sector through the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) and the PLI scheme.

He also encouraged ITTA members to pursue opportunities related to innovation, joint ventures and export competitiveness.

ITTA Reviews Activities and Achievements

Shri. Mahesh Kudav, Chairman, ITTA, presented an overview of the Association’s activities and achievements during the past year.

He highlighted ITTA’s engagement with the Ministry of Textiles on policy matters, standards development and skill-building initiatives, while reaffirming the Association’s role in representing the Indian technical textile industry.

The AGM also included a Knowledge Sharing Session featuring presentations on different areas of technical textiles and related business developments.

The presentations were:

• “Maharashtra’s Technical Textiles and Industrial Policy Initiatives” — Ms. Chandrika Majumder, Manager, Primus Partners
• “Innovations with Functional Textiles in Building and Construction” — Dr. Mohit Raina, Managing Director, Raina Industries Pvt. Ltd.
• “Lease Financing in Technical Textile Industry” — Shri. Shrirang Tambe, Founder & CEO, Origa Markets Pvt. Ltd.
• “Fashion Ecosystem for Technical Garment Manufacturers” — Shri. Mayur Suchak, Managing Director, Magus Infratech Pvt. Ltd.

Dinesh Mehta Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Shri. Dinesh Mehta, Founder, Dima Products, for his contributions to the technical textile industry.

Shri. Mehta was inducted into the ‘ITTA Hall of Fame’, joining Shri. Pankaj Kapoor of Park Non-Woven Pvt. Ltd., Shri. Pramod Khosla of Khosla Profil, Shri. Yogesh Kusumgar of Kusumgar Corporates, and Shri. Mohan Kavrie of Supreme Nonwovens, who have also been recognised for their contributions to the growth and development of the technical textile sector.

ITTA Innovation Awards Recognise 10 Developments

ITTA also presented its Innovation Awards for contributions and advancements in the technical textile industry. The awards recognise members working on innovative products, processes and machinery.

The awardees and recognised innovations were:

1. The Bhor Chemicals and Plastics Pvt. Ltd. — Shri. Hrishikesh Kirkire, General Manager Sales, for “Advanced Technical Textile and Composite Material Systems for Broadband Radar Stealth and RCS Reduction.” The award was presented by Shri. Ajay Pandit, Additional Textile Commissioner.
2. Park Industries Pvt. Ltd. + Jawaharlal Nehru Government Engineering College — Shri. Pankaj Kapoor, Chairman & Dr. Dinesh Bhatia, Assistant Professor, for “Hemp Nonwoven Mycelium Based Acoustic Panels.” The award was presented by Shri. Kartikay Dhanda, Secretary & CEO, Textile Committee.
3. Advent Polycoats Pvt. Ltd. — Shri. Ankit Singhvi, Director, for “Molten Metal Resistant Fabric.” The award was presented by Shri. Pramod Khosla, Past Chairman, ITTA.
4. Raina Industries Pvt. Ltd. — Dr. Mohit Raina, Managing Director & Shri. Sameer Afsar Memon, Business Development Manager, for “Use of 3D Glass Spacer Fabrics for Interior Wall Applications.” The award was presented by Shri. Avinash Misar, Past Chairman, ITTA.
5. Soft Protector Pvt. Ltd. — Dr. Jyotirmoy Das, Advisor, for “Universal Body Armour Against 9 mm Bullet and Stab Utilising Smart Fluids and Ceramics.” The award was presented by Dr. Anup Rakshit, Past Executive Director, ITTA.
6. Texoedge Innovation Pvt. Ltd. — Mr. Mukesh Kumar, Co-Founder & CEO, for “Passive Warming and Cooling High-Performance Textiles.” The award was presented by Shri. Ajay Pandit, Additional Textile Commissioner.
7. Dynamic Autolooms India Pvt. Ltd. — Shri. Lalit Dudhagara, VP Sales, for “Sample Weaving Solution for Technical Textiles.” The award was presented by Shri. Kartikay Dhanda, Secretary & CEO, Textile Committee.
8. The Man Made Textiles Research Association (MANTRA) — Dr. Pankaj Gandhi, Director, for “Indigenous Development of Sustainable and Functional Multifilament Yarns for Advanced Textiles.” The award was presented by Shri. Pramod Khosla, Past Chairman, ITTA.
9. The South India Textile Research Association (SITRA) — Dr. Prakash Vasudevan, Director & Dr. L. Amalorpava Mary, Senior Scientific Officer, for “Indigenous Needleless Electrospinning Machine for High-Throughput Nanofiber Production.” The award was presented by Shri. Avinash Misar, Past Chairman, ITTA.
10. ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT) — Dr. G. Krishna Prasad, Senior Scientist, for “Sustainable Cut-Resistant Seamless Gloves Using Recycled Para-Aramid/Cotton Blends.” The award was presented by Dr. Anup Rakshit, Past Executive Director, ITTA.

Following the award ceremony, each awardee made a short presentation on their respective innovation to the gathering.

ITTA Reaffirms Industry Engagement

The event concluded with a vote of thanks from Ms. Ruchita Gupta, Associate Director - Technical, ITTA, who thanked the members, guests, participants and dignitaries for attending the 16th AGM and Award Ceremony.

ITTA reiterated its role in representing the Indian technical textile industry and its continued engagement with the government on policy initiatives, while supporting members in growth and business development.