NITRA’s Role in Advancing Sports Textiles: From Protective Textiles to Market-Driven Innovation

As covered by Salil,Chawla, Director DFU Publications in the capacity of delegate yesterday "National Conference on Technical Textiles" organised by PHDCCI. Excerpts from Dr. M.S Parmar - Director General, NITRA address during one of the panel discussions: 

Address at the National Conference on Technical Textiles

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Moderator:
Dr. Parmar, I have a question for you in the context of sports textiles. NITRA has decades of experience in protective textiles. How do you position NITRA within India’s emerging sports textile ecosystem, particularly in areas such as impact protection, comfort, and ergonomics? Further, how do you envision NITRA complementing the work of Centres of Excellence such as SITRA and other technical textile institutions, so that together they can serve the industry’s evolving application requirements?

Dr. Parmar:

Thank you very much for inviting me to this important discussion on sports textiles.

I would like to begin by highlighting that NITRA is a Centre of Excellence in Protective Textiles, and protective textiles have an extremely broad scope. When we talk about sports textiles, many products naturally fall within the protective textiles domain.

Take the example of helmets. Helmets are one of the most important protective products used in sports. Similarly, products providing UV protection, impact protection, and various safety functions are all part of the protective textiles ecosystem. Therefore, sports textiles and protective textiles are closely interconnected.

Over the years, NITRA has developed advanced testing infrastructure capable of evaluating several performance characteristics that are directly relevant to sports applications. For instance, we possess facilities to test products such as sleeping bags, high-altitude clothing, and specialised protective garments used by athletes participating in extreme environmental conditions.

Our support to the sports industry extends beyond testing. We are actively involved in research and product development.

Recently, under the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), we successfully completed a proof-of-concept project focused on developing innovative clothing solutions for cricket and other sports applications. The project received excellent appreciation from the Ministry, validating the quality of work carried out by our team.

Another important area of our research involves the development of new sustainable fibres. Several industries are now collaborating with NITRA to evaluate these fibres for sportswear applications. We are also working closely with startups that are developing lightweight performance apparel, including garments designed for high-altitude sports.

One of the significant advantages of our newly developed fibre is that even when blended at only 20-30% with polyester, it significantly reduces the overall fabric weight while simultaneously enhancing several functional properties.

These include:
Improved thermal comfort.
Better moisture management.
Enhanced durability.
Excellent Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) performance.

In fact, fabrics containing this fibre can achieve UPF ratings exceeding 70, owing to the fibre’s inherently high ultraviolet protection capability. This makes it particularly suitable for sports T-shirts and other outdoor performance apparel.

Equally important, NITRA possesses the specialised testing infrastructure required to evaluate these performance characteristics, enabling industry partners to validate products according to internationally accepted standards.

Regarding your second question on industry outreach, NITRA is already collaborating with textile clusters, including Ludhiana, by providing testing and technical support. While no institution can claim to possess every possible testing facility, we have developed comprehensive capabilities, particularly for clothing and protective textile evaluation, and we continue strengthening these facilities in partnership with industry.