TechnoSport and AIC IIT Delhi Partner to Advance Made-in-India Performance Sports Textiles
₹4.5 crore investment over three years will support sports-textile research, prototyping and capability building through the new T-CREST initiative
TechnoSport has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) IIT Delhi, under the Atal Innovation Mission supported by NITI Aayog, to establish the TechnoSport Center for Research and Entrepreneurship in Sports Textile (T-CREST) at IIT Delhi’s Sonipat campus. The initiative aims to strengthen India’s capabilities in developing performance sportswear through science, engineering and athlete-led research.
As part of the collaboration, TechnoSport will invest ₹4.5 crore over three years towards sports-textile research, prototyping and capability building. The partnership will bring together TechnoSport’s expertise in textiles, product development and manufacturing with IIT Delhi’s scientific and engineering capabilities.
T-CREST to Focus on Performance Sports Textiles
T-CREST will study how material science and garment engineering can influence athletic performance, comfort and recovery.
The research will examine interactions between the athlete, sport, environment and garment, with the objective of translating scientific findings into performance sportswear that can also be developed and commercialised.
Athletes, coaches, textile scientists and sports-science specialists will participate in the research and validation process.
₹4.5 Crore Investment for Research and Capability Building
Under the MoU, TechnoSport will invest ₹4.5 crore over three years to support:
- Sports-textile research
- Product prototyping
- Capability building
- Development of specialised expertise
- Industry-academia collaboration
The initiative is intended to create a stronger connection between scientific research and high-performance product development in India.
MoU Brings Together Industry and Academia
The MoU was signed in the presence of Prof. Vivek V. Buwa, Deputy Director (Strategic & Planning), IIT Delhi; Dr. Nikhil Agarwal, MD, FITT, IIT Delhi; Alok Pandey, CEO, AIC IIT Delhi; Prof. Bipin Kumar, Associate Professor, Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering, IIT Delhi; and Puspen Maity, CEO, TechnoSport.
The collaboration brings together expertise spanning sports, science, manufacturing and technical textiles.
Focus on India's Sports-Textile Ecosystem
T-CREST will be housed within the Atal Incubation Centre at IIT Delhi’s Sonipat campus, a deep-tech incubator established under the Atal Innovation Mission of NITI Aayog, Government of India.
Beyond individual products, the initiative aims to engage with India’s start-up ecosystem and support the development of an indigenous base of sports-textile technologies, scientific expertise and specialist talent.
The initiative is also expected to create opportunities related to entrepreneurship and employment across India's sports-textile ecosystem as the country's sports economy expands.
Connecting Researchers, Athletes and Entrepreneurs
T-CREST will bring together researchers, students, entrepreneurs, athletes and industry experts to support the development of sports-technology ventures.
Its location at IIT Delhi’s Sonipat campus also places the initiative in the vicinity of Haryana’s established sporting ecosystem, where many sportspersons representing India train.
The programme is intended to help translate scientific research into scalable applications for sports and performance apparel.
India's Sports Economy Creates New Opportunities
The Google-Deloitte Think Sports: Unlocking India’s $130B Sports Potential report projects India's sports market to reach $130 billion by 2030.
The report also projects employment across the sector to increase from 4.7 million to 10.5 million, representing nearly 58 lakh additional jobs.
The growth of the wider sports economy is expected to create opportunities across supporting areas, including sports textiles and performance apparel.
TechnoSport Highlights India's Manufacturing and Scientific Capabilities
Sunil Jhunjhunwala, Co-Founder and Managing Director, TechnoSport, said:
“India has the scientific talent, manufacturing depth and sporting ambition to create world-class performance sportswear here. Through our partnership with IIT Delhi, T-CREST gives us the opportunity to combine rigorous scientific research with TechnoSport’s experience in textiles, product development and manufacturing. Our ₹4.5 crore commitment is about building the science, capabilities and talent required to develop high-performance products in India that can stand alongside the best globally.”
Focus on Commercialising Textile Innovations
Puspen Maity, CEO, TechnoSport, said:
“India’s opportunity is not just to develop new textile technologies, but to turn them into commercially viable products that can reach millions of consumers. T-CREST brings together scientific know-how, product development and execution with our understanding of manufacturing, markets and consumers, helping take an innovation from the lab to a product that can be successfully built, launched and adopted at scale.”
AIC IIT Delhi Sees Scope for Technology-Led Sports Solutions
Alok Pandey, CEO, AIC IIT Delhi, said:
“T-CREST is an opportunity to bring researchers, innovators, industry, coaches and athletes together to build technology-led solutions for the future of sports in India. By connecting IIT Delhi’s research capabilities with Technosport’s product development and manufacturing expertise, we aim to create a stronger pathway from research and innovation to real-world sporting applications. I also thank Prof. Bipin Kumar from IIT Delhi’s Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering for his instrumental role in shaping this partnership and his continued support in taking this initiative forward.”
Strengthening Performance-Textile Talent
The collaboration will create opportunities for IIT Delhi faculty, students, researchers and innovators to work with TechnoSport’s R&D and product teams.
The initiative is expected to strengthen industry-academia exchange while supporting the development of specialists in performance textiles and related sports technologies.