Vision 2050

Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)

DARE, Government of India

Adenwala Road, Matunga, Mumbai - 400 019

Tel: 022 24127273/76, 24184274/75, 25157238

Fax No. 022 24130835/24157239 Email: circot@vsnl.com

Web: www.circot.res.in

June, 2013

PRINTED: June, 2013

Compilation: Er. V. G. Arude, Scientist

Dr. C. Sundaramoorthy, Scientist

Mrs. Bindu Venugopal, Technical Officer

Mr. S. Sekar, Technical Officer

Dr. S. K. Chattopadhyay, Director

Inputs: Scientific and Technical Staff

Cover Page:

Miss Poulami Mukharjee,

Textile Designer, NIFT, New Delhi

All Rights Reserved:

Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai

___________________________________________________________________________

Published by Dr. S. K. Chattopadhyay, Director, Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, (Indian

Council of Agricultural Research), Adenwala Road, Matunga, Mumbai

Contents

Message … …

Foreword … …

Preface … …

1. Context … …

2. Challenges … …

3. Operating Environment … …

4. New Opportunities … …

5

6

Goals/Targets

Way Forward

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Context

The Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT) is one of the premier constituent

institutes of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and one of its kind in the world

conducting R&D on utilization of every part of the cotton plant, providing consultancy services and

conducting entrepreneurship development programmes. Since its inception in 1924, CIRCOT has

been offering continuous technological support to country’s cotton breeding programme and testing

services to the trade and industry. The institute is engaged in developing new technologies and

machinery for better utilization of cotton and other textile fibres by carrying out basic, applied,

strategic and anticipatory research in postharvest technology of cotton.

In the recent past, the institute has carried out pioneering work on cotton crop residue, value addition

to cotton waste, ginning and mechanical processing of cotton, development of industrial yarns and

fabrics by using natural and synthetic blends. It has also forayed into areas of environment friendly

chemical treated cotton, nanocellulose production, plasma treatment on textiles and production of

calibration cotton for the textile industry. Over nine decades, CIRCOT has proved itself as the main

R&D solution provider on cotton technology in the country, and to its valued stakeholders.

In India, cotton the “White Gold” enjoys pre-eminence as an industrial raw material for the spinning

industry with a share of 62%, the rest being chiefly the synthetic fibre like polyester. Since the expiry

of the Multi-Fibre Agreement (MFA) and opening of Quota-free Global Trade in 2004, the cotton

textile sector is buoyant and exhibits tremendous growth momentum. Besides, India’s progressive

economic growth in recent past has resulted in increased spending on clothes dictated by fashion and

comfort preferences of consumers, and is helping in expanding the domestic market as well. With the

technological advances in cotton processing and value additions increasingly adopted by the global

textile industry, India has emerged as a major player in the world cotton production – processing –

value addition – domestic consumption – export – value chain.

In this evolving scenario, CIRCOT has greater role to play by being a bridge connecting the textile

industry and the cotton farmers. CIRCOT should categorically position itself in the changing scenario

of cotton processing, utilization and value addition. Processing sector demands the continuous

modernization, particularly in spinning by adopting new methods like friction and air-jet spinning,

and in weaving – 3D fabric. These methods will invariably lead to new application areas such as

technical textiles and natural fibre composites. Specific and desired value-additions can be achieved

by cutting edge research interventions like plasma treatment, supercritical carbon dioxide processing

and nanotechnology. Finally, having interaction with consumers regarding their preferences and

direct marketing will complete CIRCOT’s driving role in the value chain.

CIRCOT has drafted its first vision document “Vision 2020” in the year 2000, which was revisited

with new research priorities and programmes in the year 2007 to prepare the “Perspective Plan

2025”. This was followed by renewed focus and insights leading to the preparation of “Vision 2030”

document in the year 2011. Through all these vision documents, CIRCOT attempted to view the

changing needs of the cotton textile sector and prioritize its R&D objectives. Formulating programmes

and engaging in such activities essentially looking into the needs of the clients have been the focus of

CIRCOT’s research. This has resulted in development of technologies and products which has helped

the institute to reach to new heights. The formulation of all vision documents with proper perspective

resulted in the following important accomplishments:

a. World acclaimed basic research in structures of cotton, other natural fibres and cellulose

chemistry.

b. Detailed research on blending of Indian cotton with other natural as well synthetic fibres and

development of novel blended products.

c. The only technology partner in the prestigious All India Coordinated Cotton Improvement

Project (AICCIP) since its inception, and thus guiding and aiding cotton breeders of the

country in developing varieties with improved productivity and quality.

d. Calibration cotton is one of the hallmarks of CIRCOT R&D. This indigenous standard

reference material is used for calibrating modern cotton fibre testing instruments for ensuring

comparability of results with international standards. It has a countrywide acceptance with

about 300 users and is preferred over similar standards imported from developed nations.

e. CIRCOT’s R & D in cotton ginning and skill training of workforce for ginning industry is the

best in whole Indian subcontinent.

f. Active participation in all components of the Govt. of India Technology Mission of Cotton

(TMC) – modernization of over 1000 ginneries and improvement in practices of cotton-picking

and in market yards resulting in production of industry desired quality cotton with low trash

and contaminants.

g. The CIRCOT developed Miniature Spinning System is an example of successful indigenous

R&D towards import substitution. So far, 64 machines have been sold. This development not

only saves valuable foreign exchange, but also provides an ultramodern system for assessing

the spinning potential and quality of cotton.

h. CIRCOT’s investigation on yarn faults has impacted on the yarn production scenario, and

helped the industry to produce yarn with fewer defects equaling or at times being better than

the world’s 5-25% standard.

i. Rotor Spinning has established an enviable place in coarse cotton yarn spinning having

capacity of about 7.70 lakhs production-heads in India. Sustained research at CIRCOT has

proved its aptness in Indian Spinning Sector for production of quality cotton and blended

yarns.

j. CIRCOT is the only institute in the world, which has carried out pioneering work on

utilization of cotton stalks for production of pulp and paper, and kraft paper for preparation of

corrugated boxes and particle boards. It has executed an internationally funded project under

the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), Netherlands through International Cotton

Advisory Committee (ICAC), Washington, in this technology.

k. CIRCOT has methodically forayed into cutting edge research areas like nanocellulose,

nanofibres, nanotechnology, plasma processing, textile/ green composites, technical textiles,

and is making a steady impact.

l. CIRCOT has the expertise and has completed several externally funded time bound projects.

m. CIRCOT has set up a Business Processing and Development (BPD) Unit under support from

the National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP) for creating awareness, promotion and

dissemination of CIRCOT developed technologies. CIRCOT has also forged research

collaboration with other R&D institutions within the ICAR system as well as with other

national and international research organizations and with private manufacturers. CIRCOT is

also an active member in the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

n. CIRCOT, being recognized by the University of Mumbai is also serving as an education

provider in textiles and basic sciences. Many CIRCOT scientists are recognized guides for post

graduate & Ph.D research degrees.

Thus, it is evident that the earlier vision documents have helped CIRCOT to critically focus its R & D

perspective. It has guided to reset and realign strategies to achieve its vision and objectives, and serve

the stakeholders with a mission.

The emerging, developing and shifting scenario in technology, consumption and value chain of cotton

necessitates CIRCOT to have a broader and flexible vision for the next thirty to forty years. “Vision

2050” will provide orientation to the institute to translate its long-term perspective into a reality

through innovative science and engineering intervention in the cotton postharvest sector. The main

reasons which justify the need for preparation of CIRCOT “Vision 2050” and necessitate to revisit its

“Vision 2030” document are stated below.

During mechanical and chemical processing of cotton textiles, large quantity of carbon

dioxide is emitted in the atmosphere. Similarly, huge quantity of water mixed with effluents

like synthetic dye, acid, alkali, hydrocarbon, fluorocarbon, amine, salt, heavy metals and other

toxic compounds are discharged. These events are responsible for water and air pollution,

inevitably leading to climate change. Thus, development of non-polluting textile/cotton

processing technologies to address the issues related to climate change and to mitigate its

impact need attention in future R&D programmes.

With the increase in the buying capacity, the consumers’ demand for textiles is undergoing a

massive shift. Demand for innovative and intelligent textiles that are adaptable and

adjustable to changing environmental condition is steadily increasing. This provides good

scope for engineering and technological intervention.

Similarly, increasing number of health conscious consumers nowadays prefer performance

oriented textiles.

Reduction in energy consumption during textile processing is of utmost priority. Particularly,

the ginning of seed cotton needs immediate attention to develop energy efficient and

ergonomic machineries.

Use of technical textile, i.e., textiles used for technical performance in non-conventional areas

is steadily increasing. At present, share of cotton in technical textiles is a mere 7%. Aim

should be to increase it to 25% by year 2050 through novel research and development in its

manufacture.

The conversion speeds of cotton fibre to yarn and fabric are increasing with development of

technologically advanced machines. CIRCOT’s participation in All India Coordinated

Cotton Improvement Project (AICCIP) needs continuous strengthening so as to assist cotton

breeders to develop suitable quality of cotton commensurate with the envisaged needs of the

textile industry of year 2050.

Application of cotton and other natural fibres for developing reinforced composites,

particularly of eco-friendly type is the need of the future. Research should be oriented to

develop reinforced composites which can substitute raw materials like wood which are

presently being used in the construction and other industries. Thus, deforestation which is a

major environmental hazard can be slowed down.

Water is already a precious commodity and will be scarce by 2050. Unless we save water, the

existence of living beings including humans and plants will be endangered. Wet processing of

cotton practiced at present is a water intensive operation requiring about 80-200 liters of

water per kg of textiles. Therefore, in-depth and strategic research should be carried out for

development of water saving process for cotton processing. Preferably, development of a ‘dry’

processing method is the apt and viable solution.

Foresight into the near and distant future reveals the sensitivity and complexity of cotton which is

used as an industrial raw material for the ever-growing, dynamic and diversified textile industry. The

industry will need far better ginned quality cotton for both conventional and technical textiles in the

future. Protection and conservation of environment through energy-efficient and green processes is

also a priority. The clientele of CIRCOT will not only increase in future, but will be more diverse

requiring greater attention.

Thus, CIRCOT will have to tune in and keep pace with the changes evolving in the textile industry

and among consumers. Research at CIRCOT will require ‘out-of-box’ thinking and need to develop

state-of-art engineering to impart value addition and processing efficiency in the cotton textile sector.

Nevertheless, the developments done through the research should also provide higher remuneration

and profit for all stakeholders in the value-chain, starting with the cotton farmer. The document

CIRCOT vision-2050 should integrate, encompass and address all the issues mentioned above.

Further, having a SWOT analysis done can propel the institute on the right path to tackle the

challenges and uncertainties that may be encountered in its journey to the year 2050. The ultimate

vision for 2050 is CIRCOT attaining global excellence in cotton technology, with a social purpose,

goal and commitment.

Challenges

By any imagination, 2050 will certainty present an expanding Indian cotton and textile sector that

will require volumes of quality fibre for production of consumer demanded improved textiles. State–

of–art post-harvest machines and technology will dominate the textile production arena to engineer

quality fibres into yarns and fabrics. Given the situation, many challenges are anticipated in the

cotton technology sector that CIRCOT constantly needs to capitalise through innovative R & D. Some

of the important challenges are highlighted below as per the priority areas. Needless to say, this

description cannot account for those challenges arising out of the uncertainties that may happen and

which cannot be fathomed and comprehended presently, since year 2050 is at a distant three and half

decades ahead.

Pre-ginning

Pre-ginning comprises operations carried out prior to ginning viz., cotton picking, on farm handling

and cleaning, cotton stalk management for value addition and related management practices.

Presently, the entire cotton in India is handpicked with manpower required being 450-500 man-

hours/ha. The process is devoid of mechanization which is predominantly practiced in developed

countries. With the targeted cotton yield by 2050 being 2000 kg lint/ha, the challenge is to have

appropriately designed machines in the field for harvesting cotton, maintaining fibre quality and its

purity to the great extent. Further, reducing the cost of picking and mitigating the peak season labour

demand logically requires a change in both production and processing practices. Mechanically

harvested cotton generally has trash content above 15% compared to about 2% in hand picked

cotton. The challenge would be to reduce trash from 15% to a nominal. Hence, the mechanization of

cotton picking operations will require designing of special cleaners for processing of trashy cotton.

Parallely, development of proper tillage, planting and defoliation practices are required to minimize

the trash content in mechanically harvested cotton. The concept of on-farm cleaning of seed cotton is

another viable option to be developed into reality to produce lint with permissible limits of impurity

so as to facilitate ginning on the existing machineries.

Likewise, the improvement in transport of seed cotton from farm to factory is another challenge.

Presently in India, seed cotton is transported in loose form, and both the unloading and the heaping

operations are manual. All these practices lead to very high labour, transportation and material

handling costs, besides increased contamination in cotton. Viable and appropriate handling systems

for seed cotton need to be developed both at farm and at ginnery. Besides, in India the seed cotton is

traded instead of the lint, as is the practice followed in developed countries. The proposed

mechanization of cotton picking in the country is likely to shift cotton trading from seed cotton to lint

form. For this, the concept of contract farming in India should be introduced in a large scale, and

further consolidated through effective management practices.

Another important challenge in this sector is the efficient and timely utilization of cotton plant by-

products. The cotton plant by-products are available in plenty but are unutilized due to lack of

efficient cotton stalk supply chain. Further, non-availability of indigenous machinery for uprooting,

cleaning, chipping and baling has aggravated the issue. Development of machinery for all the above

operations demands intelligent engineering. Besides, conversion of cotton plant biomass into high

value compost for enhancing soil fertility can address the concern of falling standard of soil health.

Short term challenges

Development of mechanical picker/stripper suitable for small farm-holding

Improving cleaning efficiency of cylinder type pre and post cleaners from 25 to 50%

Development of on-farm pre-cleaners for mechanically harvested cotton

Development of seed cotton module builders suiting to the requirement of Indian small

farmers for ease of transportation to ginnery

Development of cotton loader, un-loader and heaping machine to minimise drudgery and

handling cost

Establishment of feasible cotton stalk supply chain

Preparation of high value compost from cotton biomass.

Long term challenges

Development of combined cotton harvesting and cleaning machines

Establishment of contract farming for promotion of lint based trading

Development of integrated machines for uprooting, cleaning, chipping and baling of cotton

stalk.

Ginning

Ginning, the process which separates fibre from cotton seed, is a crucial component in cotton

processing. Till date, out of 4000 ginneries, about 1000 ginneries have been modernised as per the

norms of Technology Mission on Cotton (TMC). More than 80% of the cultivated cotton in India is

ginned using double roller (DR) gins. DR gins are of low productivity (100 kg lint/h) and consume high

energy (4 units/100 kg lint). Hence, the challenges are to improve DR gin’s productivity and energy

efficiency. Simultaneously, interventions to reduce dust, noise, vibration and drudgery in operation

during ginning need to be addressed suitably. The use of high productive rotary knife ginning

machine needs to be explored for ginning of Indian cotton by addressing its shortcomings of higher

seed cut and nep generation. Further, the existing principles of cotton ginning should be relooked and

new principles that will require minimum energy for the process should be invented. In the existing

machines, the maximum energy is spent in running the machine rather than in detachment of fibres

from the seed. In continuation of the present trend, the 2050 era will probably have significant

demand for short staple cottons. But the existing machines are not effective for ginning short staples

and hence, offer a challenge to devise new machines.

Material handling forms the major component in ginning automation and requires about 1/3rd of the

total energy consumed in a modern ginnery. This is predominantly due to lack of standardization of

machines and processes. Revolutionary design of post cleaning machines will be required to bring

down the trash content in the cotton bale to below 1%. Likewise, maintenance of optimum moisture in

seed cotton and lint during ginning is very important. For ensuring uniform application of moisture,

appropriate on-line moisture application methods need to be evolved. Further, in order to track the

bales from ginnery to its end-user, the development and mandatory implementation of RFID bale tags

containing the bale production information along with fibre quality data should be done. Such

practice will ensure and promote quality based marketing of lint and fetch remunerative price to the

farmers.

Short term challenges

Doubling the productivity of double roller gin to 200 kg lint/h and reducing energy

consumption by half

Designing efficient machine for ginning short staple cotton

Customization of high capacity rotary knife roller ginning technology for Indian cottons

Application of image processing technology for detection of contaminants and development

of contaminant cleaners for ginnery

Reducing dust and noise pollution in ginneries to the permissible limits

Implementation of RFID bale tagging for tracking the cotton bales till its spinning.

Long term challenges

Modernisation of all the existing ginning factories in India and later establishing only

automated units

Reworking the ginning principles to manufacture high energy-efficient machines

Development of high productive computer controlled roller ginning machines

Indigenous pre and post-cleaning machinery for mechanically picked and stripped cottons

Human and environment-friendly standardized machines and processes for ginning, baling,

heaping, humidification and material handling.

Cotton Fibre Quality and Textile Characterization

Various channels exist for cotton marketing viz., farmer–ginner–consumer, farmer–trader –ginner–

consumer, farmer–village merchant–commission agent–consumer. The farmer’s share in the price paid

by the consumer for a given product made from his produce, can be regarded as rough estimation of

market efficiency of that product. Currently, it is in the range of 85% for textiles that drops

significantly if the marketing channel involves many players. So there is a need to reduce the players

involved in the market channel. To achieve this, it is proposed to develop an online cotton fibre quality

information system associated with mobile laboratory for on the spot evaluation of cotton quality. This

will not only empower the small farmers to negotiate for quality based pricing, but will also usher an

era of quality based cotton pricing system in the country. This development is expected to improve

farmer’s share in consumer price to the level of 95%.

Most of cotton traders and textile industries in our country are using ICC mode in high volume testing,

whereas in countries like USA, the HVI mode of testing is practiced. In International market, the HVI

mode of fibre properties is preferred. Hence, it has been decided to introduce HVI mode of cotton

testing in the AICCIP from 2012-13 cotton season onwards. In 2011-12 season, HVI mode of testing was

done only for full spinning samples which were in the final stage of breeding trials. CIRCOT will

spearhead the shift in adopting the HVI mode of testing, so that Indian cottons can get a competitive

edge in the international market.

The objective fabric quality assessment systems like Kawabata Evaluation System and FAST are not

widely accepted in India due to high cost and low speed of testing. Recently Kyoto Institute of

Technology has introduced a new fabric touch tester for assessing both tactile and thermal aspects in a

single instrument. This instrument is cost effective, time efficient and has the potential for greater

adoption by the industry. CIRCOT aspires to customize the fabric touch tester in the Indian context for

objective evaluation of cotton fabrics.

Consumer preferences over the coming decades will be oriented towards wear comfort and feel of the

fabric. Cotton apparels will obviously be preferred over synthetic ones in such a scenario. However,

cotton has to compete with synthetics in the case of performance oriented garments, where the

synthetic fibres/fabrics have distinct advantages. CIRCOT will have to orient its research to develop

technologies to sustain and enhance the use of cotton in apparels and at the same time engineer its

properties to make it amenable for use in performance or technical textiles. This is a huge challenge,

but capable of opening up new avenues for cotton in the future.

Various spinning systems like ring, rotor and vortex spinning will continue to utilize cotton for yarn

production in the decades ahead. India has 48.25 million ring spinning spindles and 0.782 million

rotors that contribute to the total spun yarn production of 4372 million kg. To feed the growing

requirement of yarns in textiles, new methods of yarn spinning have to be adopted. Air vortex spinning

system is a new generation of yarn manufacturing technology and is capable of producing 100%

cotton yarn. Thus, it can share a significant portion of the cotton spinning in the coming years.

Production levels of air jet spinning are 20-30 times higher than the ring spinning, and 2-3 times of

the rotor spinning. The air vortex spinning demands fibre with length each to strength ratio of at least

one, and 2.5 % span length of 30 mm with strength of 30 to 32 g/tex to produce a quality 30s Ne

yarn. Establishment of varieties with these quality parameters that can be consistently cultivated in

bulk for supply to the textile industry will be a challenge for CIRCOT to cope up with.

The requirement of cotton for unconventional end uses like surgical cotton, mattresses, cotton swabs

and tea bag threads is increasing. Surgical cotton, with a current market size of Rs 57,000 crores and a

growth rate of 11%, is a part of the technical textiles, the rising sector of the textile industry in India.

Cotton is also competing with synthetics in clothing and apparels. Polyester, viscose and wool were the

fibres traditionally used for trouser making. But today, 100% cotton trousers are the preferred wear

and will continue its status as the desired comfort garment. It may be noted that every end use of

textiles requires different set of parameters of cotton quality. Therefore, R&D at CIRCOT needs to be

directed towards engineering of cotton fibre for the specific end-use to meet the challenging and

variable demands of the ultimate consumers.

In India, cotton trade is influenced by brokers and mill representatives. The lack of quality and

labelling standardization of cotton bales at ginning stage result in spinning mills sourcing fibres of

non-homogeneous and unclassified quality. Cotton producing countries like USA and China have

established nation-wide bale tagging systems, where each bale produced from the ginnery is tagged

with fibre quality data. USA has established a national database of traded cotton that provides real-

time information to various stake holders like farmers, traders and industry. CIRCOT can take a lead

in establishing similar database in India. There are about 350 HVI systems with private and public

sectors of India, which can be pooled together and utilized for generating data for the purpose of bale

tagging with quality information. If the challenging task of 100% bale tagging of Indian cottons with

the fibre quality data can be achieved, it will not only ensure quality based cotton fibre marketing,

but also remunerative price to the cotton farmers for their produce.

The fibre quality assessment through objective measurement of fibre attributes is carried out using

state-of-the-art instruments like the High Volume Instrument (HVI) that needs frequent calibration

and resetting. This is ensured by using the "Calibration Cotton", which is a Standard Reference

Material. CIRCOT has been developing its own calibration cotton since 1997, which is extensively

used by about 300 customers from the textile industry, cotton traders and research institutions.

Presently, it is being observed that the customer base of CIRCOT Calibration cotton is not growing

noticeably. There is a challenge to improve its market size at the national level and also enter into

export markets. Besides, the Advanced Fibre Information System (AFIS) that is used for measurement

of single fibre quality and fibre neps does not have any inherent calibration set-up. It raises doubt on

the integrity of the equipment and authenticity of the test results. Hence, there is a demand from

industry for supply of reference materials for calibration of AFIS instrument as well. It is a real R & D

challenge for CIRCOT to develop reference materials for the calibration of nep module in AFIS.

There has been a tremendous development and innovation in fabric manufacturing technology. The

applications of high performance and functional fabrics having enhanced performance attributes and

functionalities over the normal fabrics have been expanding rapidly. They are used in areas such as,

protective and functional textiles, in acoustic applications and for producing smart, responsive and

electronic textiles, such as fabric sensors and actuators. Therefore, suitable and new quality assessment

methods based on artificial intelligence and non-contact Image analysis need to be developed for

performance characterization. In this era of rapid globalization requiring quick and smart assessment

of quality, the fabric testing arena will observe a paradigm shift from manual to automatic testing.

Devising suitable intelligent instruments for this segment of cotton textiles is another challenge for

CIRCOT.

Short term challenges

Development of National online information system for cotton fibre quality

Standardisation of cotton testing through HVI mode of fibre quality evaluation

Customisation of fabric touch tester for Indian conditions

Improving thermal comfort of cotton and blended textiles.

Long term challenges

Development of classification centres in major cotton producing areas

Development of reference materials for standardisation of cotton fibre quality testing

instruments, particularly the AFIS

Meeting the cotton quality requirements of high-speed spinning systems through partnership

in AICCIP

Engineering of cotton fibres to develop apparel and technical fabrics with end-use as needed

by the dynamic and global customers of the future era

Development of testing and quality assessment methods for performance characterization of

smart and intelligent textiles.

Spinning, Weaving & Knitting

The developments in yarn manufacturing have been continuously promoted by the machinery

manufacturers. By 2050, intelligent spinning systems with high production speeds supported by

online quality monitoring and remote access control systems are expected to be in place. The process

sequence for fibre to yarn production will be a shorter one with automatic piecing and material

handling systems. The future spinning systems are expected to successfully spin different types of

fibres and deliver yarns, not only of good strength and regularity, but also will ensure good fabric

handle.

Research innovations to increase production in spinning sector are basically fuelled by the

tremendous growth of the weaving sector, where achieving a weft insertion rate of 5000 m/min has

become a reality with the development of multi-phase weaving. Computerised knitting is already in

place. The future fabric manufacturing is expected to have advanced style change systems, robust

designing capabilities, online measuring systems, integrated data monitoring systems, robotic controls

and so on. The development of multifunctional warp and weft knitted fabrics and garments will be the

area to be researched into by 2050.

Short-term challenges

Development of cotton-rich blended materials to suit requirements of smart textiles

Spinning of fine cotton yarns (>80s Ne) using air-vortex

Spinning of medium fine cotton yarns (>40s Ne) using OE Rotor spinning machines by

modification in rotor design

Development of on-line sensor based fibre quality assessment system for cotton spinning

Technology for size-free weaving of cotton yarns

Development of online defect monitoring in weaving of cotton textiles

Weaving of integrated circuits into textiles

Development of 3-Dimensional fabric weaving machines.

Long-term challenges

Technology to produce high quality yarns from natural fibres like banana, coconut fibre, sisal

and ramie for use in apparel and in other segments like technical textiles

Research to shorten the process sequence in spinning to improve productivity

Development of alternate twisting elements in ring spinning to overcome the current

production limit

Universal spinning machines for processing of hard natural fibres

Development of 3-dimensional fabric shapes for use as preforms in composites manufacture

Development of indigenous high speed shuttleless weaving machines

Development of multi-phase weaving machines to weave different fibre types and fabric

designs.

Technical Textiles

India is emerging as a significant player in technical textiles with an annual growth rate of 14%. It is

predicted that the next forty years will be crucial for the technical textile sector in India. The current

per capita consumption of nonwovens in India is less than 100 g. By 2050, it is expected the

consumption of nonwovens may be about 36 kg assuming a growth rate of 14% per annum. The

opportunity for cotton and other natural fibres exist in filtration textiles, agrotextiles, sports textiles,

geotextiles, protective textiles, medical textiles and smart textiles.

Another area of technical textiles, which is growing at a rapid rate, is that of natural fibre reinforced

composites (NFC). According to Lucintel Inc, USA, the global natural fibre composite market reached

$ 2.1 bn in 2010, with compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15% in the last five year period. The

natural fibres have the advantages over the commonly used synthetic fibres, like glass and carbon

because of their lower density, good specific strength, biodegradability, non-hazardous use, easy

processing, abundant availability, recyclability and cost-effectiveness. The major application areas of

NFC at present are Automotive (31%), Construction (21%), Marine (12%), Electronics (10%) and

Home appliances (8%). The depletion of petroleum resources coupled with awareness of global

environmental issues has generated the need for new green materials independent of petroleum based

resources. The development of completely biodegradable composite materials using bio-polymers has

a great scope in future. CIRCOT has the opportunity to build a common Composite Testing

Laboratory for cutting edge research, and also conduct training courses on NFC for researchers,

industrialists and students.

Short-term challenges

Development of sports textiles using cotton and other natural fibres

Use of cotton and other natural fibres as oil spill absorbents

Natural fibre based protective textile for agricultural and other industrial workers

Natural fibre nonwovens for automotive and filtration applications

Surface modification of natural fibres to improve its adhesion strength with matrices

Development of low-cost indigenous nonwoven production machines

Development of natural fibre based textiles for construction and geotextile industries

Improvement of interfacial bonding strength between the matrix and the reinforcement

Tackling the moisture sensitivity issues of the natural fibre composites

Production of bio-polymer based composites

Development of composites with good specific strength and modulus

Recyclability of composite made products for reuse.

Long-term challenges

Development of multifunctional cotton based nonwovens using nano/smart materials

Cotton woven and nonwovens for use in filtration and as medical devices (surgical gowns and

drapes)

Development of testing methods and standards for performance characterization of smart and

intelligent textile fabrics

Development of natural fibre composites with excellent mechanical property

Completely biodegradable composite as an alternative to plastics.

Textile Wet Processing

Cotton fibre is mostly used for manufacturing of apparel textiles. The value of a fabric can be

increased manifold by textile wet processing that includes processes like scouring, bleaching, dyeing

and finishing. Wet processing of cotton textiles differs from other fibres due to the presence of natural

wax, protein and flavone substances. It involves usage of huge quantity of water, energy and large

number of chemicals. CIRCOT has developed various eco-friendly technologies for wet processing of

cotton and blended textiles, extraction of natural dyes from sources like safflower, lac, pomegranate,

dyeing with natural dyes and preparation of absorbent cotton. This has resulted in the reduction of

pollution load by about 25% and saving in energy to an extent of about 30%. CIRCOT being the

nodal centre for nanotechnology, has developed novel techniques for preparation of silver, zinc oxide

and titania nanoparticles and their functional finishes.

The major constraint in textile wet processing is the emission of CO2 and high requirement of energy

and water. On an average about 100-150 litres of water is required for processing of one kilogram of

cotton textiles. Besides, it also produces large volume of waste water and poses risk to environment as

recycling of effluent water is a cumbersome process. Increasing global demand for water and energy

resources would render the current textile processing methods unsustainable in near future. Recycling

of processed waste water, conservation of chemicals, energy, phasing out of harmful chemicals and use

of eco-friendly alternatives to meet the zero discharge norms and processing of cotton blends with

other regenerated fibres require urgent attention. Adoption of natural dyes by the industries is

constrained due to its limited availability (1%), less suitability for bulk dyeing in machines and

unacceptable fastness properties. Therefore, new kind of natural dyes need to be explored and R & D

effort has to be made to improve their fastness properties and suitability for machine dyeing. The

antibacterial properties in textile are very desirable in healthcare application. Most of the chemicals

used to impart the antibacterial finish are toxic and do not have much affinity to cotton textiles as the

antibacterial property diminishes drastically after 5 washes. Therefore, there is a challenge to develop

permanent hygienic wash free antibacterial textiles.

With the advancement of technology, the risks to human health from fire, electromagnetic radiation,

ultraviolet rays, insects, chemicals and pesticide have drastically increased. To mitigate these,

protective textiles have been developed but they are far from being user friendly in terms of comfort,

eco-friendliness and durability. During the last few years, there is a high demand for temperature or

thermo-regulated textiles to maintain both the core body temperature and the comfort of the wearer

in diverse environments. Textiles available presently are climate specific, hence of limited use. These

textiles also are uncomfortable to the wearer due to its heavy weight. The development of

microcapsules using phase changing materials and their application to develop light weight fabrics

for all climates is a challenge for CIRCOT to work on.

Short term Challenges

Novel machine dyeing process for natural dyeing of cotton textiles with durable colour

Novel bio-molecules from microorganism for durable textile finishing

Eco-friendly and wash free durable antibacterial textiles

Novel functional finishes for textiles using nano and plasma technologies.

Long term Challenges

Reduction in water and energy requirements during textile processing

New water-free digital printing technology for textiles

Comfortable, user friendly and effective protective textiles

Efficient and environment friendly effluent treatment process

Development of universal textiles suitable for all climates.

Nanotechnology Intervention in Cotton Textiles

Nano-sized biopolymers like cellulose, starch and chitosan are not only hydrophilic in nature, but also

noncompatible with most of the commodity and engineered plastics. Hence, their use as reinforcing

agents is limited only to biopolymeric matrices. Similarly, durable finishing of textiles using

nanomaterials for functional properties needs a lot of engineering interventions. The toxicity of

nanomaterials is a challenge to deal with in future when its usage in various domains is attempted.

Production of the strongest biopolymer based yarns (through nanofibres) is a dream to be achieved in

order to overcome the permanent problem of pollution posed due to the use of synthetic polymers.

While the regulatory framework for nanotechnology in India under the support from DST

(Department of Science and Technology) is still under evolution, large scale trials using nanomaterials

is almost impossible in agriculture and allied sectors. Since the use of nanomaterials in agriculture

increases the risk of its exposure to human and environment, utmost care is required before any full

scale experimentation. All the trials need to be carried out in a confined environment with complete

evaluation of their toxicity before recommending them for commercial venture.

Various structural colours produced by butterfly wings due to interference / diffraction behaviour of

nano-scale architecture is a challenge to replicate on the surface of a cotton fibre. This can avoid use of

pigment or dye for colouration. Such futuristic research will completely eliminate the pollution

problems arising due to use of artificial colouring agents. Integration of electronic circuits into textiles

to carry out the digital processing in apparels, self-charging from sunlight and sensing/monitoring

the physiological conditions of our body are the other challenges. Nanotechnology may offer the

possibility to develop smart textiles or E-textiles or wearable electronics through fine-tuned

integration. Nature has perfected the art of making efficient composites out of cellulose, hemicellulose

and lignin since billions of years. Replicating the same for production of engineered composites is a

challenge and requires basic understanding of science and manipulation capability at nanoscale.

100% biopolymer based composites with excellent mechanical properties for varied applications are

highly desired. Cellulose is an abundantly available biomass. Once the cellulose is fibrillated to a size

less than one tenth of the wavelength of light, it becomes transparent with improved mechanical

properties. This will lead to development of transparent fabrics, papers and substrates for flexible

electronics and gadgets production of scratch proof coatings, biodegradable electronic systems, high

quality currency papers and smart textiles. CIRCOT can foray its research into these challenging

domains to produce new generation technology/materials for mass-use.

Short term challenges

Pure biopolymer based composites with excellent mechanical properties

Novel organic hybrid nanomaterials to achieve the desired functionalities in cotton textiles.

Long term challenges

Nano-scale architecture on the surface of a cotton fibre to produce colours without using any

pigment or dye

Preparation of transparent fabrics, papers and substrates for flexible electronics

Integration of nano-scale electronic circuits into textiles for monitoring the physiological

conditions of human body.

Value Addition to Cotton Biomass and By-products

The diverse utilization of cotton biomass and by-products is another challenge for CIRCOT. In India,

about 30 million tonnes of cotton stalks are generated every year. Cotton stalks contain 50%

cellulose and 25% lignin. The bulk of the cotton stalk is burnt off in the field after the harvest causing

pollution. The increase in population by 2050 would require the per capita energy of 1950 kilogram

oil equivalent (kgoe) compared to present consumption of 458 kgoe. This huge energy demand cannot

be met by the declining non-renewable energy resources. Among the renewable energy sources plant

biomass is the best and research is in progress to generate maximum possible energy from plant

biomass to meet the future demand. The use of cotton stalks for production of bioenergy is a field that

can be explored by CIRCOT.

Plant biomass constitutes high value of cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin which have wide

application in industry and agriculture. The immediate challenge would be the use of these plant

biomass constituents for the production of bacterial cellulose, poly hydroxy butyrate (PHB), single cell

protein (SCP), poly lactic acid (PLA) and plant nutrient supplement (PNS). The use of biopolymers for

the replacement of synthetic polymers is another challenging area. The isolation of textile grade fibres

from natural fibres is a great challenge due to presence of non-cellulosic materials in natural fibres. It

is known that microorganisms have diverse metabolic pathways by which they produce active and

resilient enzymes. These could be exploited for the extraction of quality fibres from the natural fibres.

About 10 million tonnes of cottonseed are available in India annually. Cottonseed contains 18-25%

oil, 20 – 25 % protein, and is also rich in essential amino acids. However, the cottonseed cakes and

meal have low level of lysine and contain toxic compound called gossypol, rendering it unfit for

human consumption. Hence another challenge is value addition to cottonseed cake/meal by

removing the gossypol and make it fit for human consumption, which will be an useful development

for meeting the needs of the increased population of the era 2050.

Short term challenge

Separation and utilization of constituents of plant biomass for their use in preparation of value

added products and high value composites.

Long term challenges

Utilization of cotton biomass for bio-energy production to meet the future energy demand

Development of value added cottonseed cake/meal fit for human consumption

Use of microbial polysaccharides for partial or complete replacement of synthetic polymers.

Human Resource Development

Though CIRCOT is the pioneering institute in the area of cotton technology, the benefits of its

research and development activities have not reached the stakeholders to the desired extent. The

activities are mainly confined to training on evaluation of cotton quality and ginning technology.

There is a lack of challenge and vibrancy in CIRCOT’s research activities and its outreach. This could

be due to minimal interaction with experts in the field of education. Coordination, guidance and

involvement with the academicia are essential for successful completion of research activities and to

have multi-dimensional approach to challenges. It is essential now that CIRCOT be recognised as a

deemed university, atleast by era 2050. Subsequently, human presence in the institute environs is

bound to increase, necessitating Human Resource Development as an integral part for efficient and

smooth functioning.

Short term Challenges

Catering to the diverse training needs of the growing cotton trade and industry segments

Strengthening of infrastructure and manpower commensurate to the education and training

needs.

Long term Challenge

Establishment of a recognised university or course curriculum for Human Resource

Development in the Cotton Technology sector–catering to both the national and

international students.

Agri-business and Commercialization of Technologies

The lack of general awareness among the potential entrepreneurs, both rural and urban, on the

business options available on cotton based agro-products is a major hindrance for technology

commercialization. An autonomous status to the Business Planning and Development (BPD) unit will

effectively establish and accelerate the commercialization of agri-business technologies. The transfer

of IPR enabled agricultural technologies through the commercial route will gain importance and

recognition. The public-private partnership mode if developed can have a positive impact and

encourage participation by many stakeholders. CIRCOT should work towards bridging these gaps.

Short term challenges

Ensure timely and effective delivery of new technologies to bridge the gap with the potential

entrepreneurs

Development of stable entrepreneurs for CIRCOT licensed technologies

Providing business space through Technology parks with support systems like pilot plant and

other resources thereby reducing the risk of startup companies.

Long Term Challenges

Developing a single window service to the global businesses and domestic entrepreneurs

entering into Indian Agriculture especially in cotton sector

Partnering with client’s product enhancement and development activity by sharing of in-

house technologies

Integrating services on technologies in postharvest processing of cotton and providing follow-

up assistance.

Operating Environment

Textile Industry

India’s textiles and clothing industry is one of the primemovers of our national economy, contributing

to 4 percent of the GDP, 14 percent of the industrial production and employing about 35 million

people. It is also one of the largest contributing sectors of India’s export accounting for nearly 12

percent of the total export earnings. The textile sector is the second largest provider of employment

after agriculture. Thus, the growth and development of the textile industry has a direct bearing on the

economy of the nation.

With the emergence of quota free trade regime and possibility of the textile manufacturing base

shifting to Asia, the Indian textile and clothing industry is in a resurgent mood. India has already been

recognized and regarded as the major beneficiary of the free trade regime. The situation is slowly

posing new challenges to the Indian textile industry. A free trade regime has also enabled the

consumer to choose the best and economic product and services. Therefore, India is facing steep

challenges from countries like China and other Asian nations, already known to produce cheaper

textiles, and market the same.

The Indian textile industry consumes fibres and yarns of various types, of which cotton has a major

share. Cotton accounts for more than 75 percent of the total fibre consumption in the spinning mills

and around 54 percent of the total fibre consumption in the textile sector. This makes cotton the

primary raw material for the textile industry. The consumption of cotton has significantly increased

over the years with rapidly expanding domestic textile industry. The spinning industry, has recorded

phenomenal growth in the last two decades in terms of installed spindles and yarn production. The

pace of modernization received a boost after the launch of “Technology Up-gradation Fund Scheme”

(TUFS) by the Government of India in April, 1999. This growth in the spinning industry has led to

continued rise in cotton consumption.

Although domestic demand accounts for a major part of cotton produced in India, textiles and

clothing exports are outpacing the domestic demand, and emerging as an important determinant of

overall cotton and fibre demand in India. Government policy interventions that influence raw

material and product prices, industry structure and technology - significantly affect both the growth

in domestic demand for cotton and the global cotton trade. However, the cotton trade is largely

distorted because of the subsidies in developed countries that depress global prices and affect the

livelihood of millions in the developing countries.

Indian Cotton Scenario

Cotton is an important commercial crop cultivated in India. It is grown in an area of around 11 million

hectares (ha) in 2012-13, accounting for about 30 percent of global area under cotton and 18 percent

of world cotton production. With increased acreage and advent of Bt-technology, the cotton

production in the country in the season 2012-13 had been estimated at 33.4 million bales (1

bale=170kg). Cotton plays a major role in sustaining the livelihood of an estimated 5.8 million cotton

farmers. In India, cotton is grown in three diverse agro-ecological zones viz., Northern zone which

includes Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, Central zone comprising of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh

and Gujarat, and Southern Zone comprising Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In the

recent period cotton is gaining momentum in nontraditional areas such as Orissa, West Bengal and

Tripura.

Cotton productivity in India, despite phenomenal increase in recent years to around 500kg/ha, is still

lower than to the world average of 730 Kg/ha and the production in countries like USA (735

Kg/ha), China (879 Kg/ha), Australia (1270 Kg/ha) and Israel (1700 Kg/ha). India, the place where

all the four cotton species are grown, has only few varieties of cotton that meet the needs of the modern

high-speed spinning and weaving, that is high strength, high extensibility, high maturity and low

variability. Moreover, Indian cotton is rather trashy because of improper handling of the raw material

at the farm and ginning level. This has remained a major concern for Indian cotton. There is need for

farm-level seed cotton cleaning and development of suitable machinery for trash free cotton picking.

Promotion of good ginning practices and correction through breeding ought to be made to reduce

trash and improve fibre strength and maturity so that Indian cotton could attract premium in the

export market.

World Cotton Scenario

Cotton is one of the most widely cultivated cash crops across the world and an important natural fibre,

accounting for around 40 percent of the total global fibre consumption. The area under cotton

cultivation across the world in 2012-13 was forecast to decline by 5% to 33.9 million hectares.

However the world cotton production has witnessed a substantial increase because of increased yield

attained in most countries.

The major players in cotton production and trade include China, India, the USA, the EU and Central

Asian and African states. More than three-fourths of cotton is accounted for by developing countries

and around one-third of total cotton produced is traded internationally. Developed countries account

for most of the increase in the consumption of end-use cotton through import of clothing and textiles

from developing countries. Mill consumption and imports of raw cotton are increasing in developing

countries, particularly in industrialised Asian countries. The trade in raw cotton is mainly from

developed countries to developing countries, but recently trade among developing countries is also

growing. Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali, known as the ‘Cotton 4’ countries, are the major cotton

producing countries in western Africa besides Egypt, Sudan, Zimbabwe and Tanzania. Among the

Asian countries, next to China, India is poised to play an increasingly important role in the global

cotton and textile markets.

Price Trend and Volatility

India's cotton economy revolves around the producers, who will continue in the cotton production as

long as it is remunerative. It is necessary to ensure higher productivity at a lower cost without

compromising the quality, so that cotton cultivation remains remunerative to the farmers. The

volatility of the cotton price in the global market is a major concern for Indian textile industry. The

highest price volatility in cotton prices in the past few years followed by a collapse in April, 2011, had

immediate reactions in the domestic market. Cotton yarn production was down by 15 percent and

fabric production by 19 percent in April-October, 2011 period over the previous year. Price trend and

volatility will govern the cotton economy in the years to come.

Technology Issues

Productivity of cotton in India is a major concern unlike in other major cotton producing countries of

the world. Besides, Indian cotton is known to be trashy, contaminated and lacking some of the

characteristics demanded by high-speed modern spinning machines. Therefore, postharvest

technology like cleaning, ginning and baling of cotton needs technology and R&D intervention and

skilled workforce to ensure better handling of raw cotton. Non-standardized low productive ginning

machinery is also a cause of concern. The modern cotton gins should be energy-efficient, more

productive and should add value to cotton by cleaning with less fibre damage. Objective quality

grading of lint based on fibre parameters and fixing of commercial price are slowly gaining ground

internationally. Cotton trade in India is still reluctant to introduce this for commercial transaction.

There is a need to increase awareness among the farmers and the cotton traders for objective grading

of lint quality based on fibre qualities.

Cotton industry is capital-intensive, especially because the machinery cost is significantly high.

Shrinking profit margins owing to swinging cotton price is reducing entrepreneurial interests in cotton

textiles. Energy and power are also major challenges in a country like India. The industry also suffers

from non-availability of skilled workforce, and is compelled to employ low skilled and unskilled

migrant labourers including women, who need sustainable training and skill development.

Adoption of the new high-speed spinning systems like rotor spinning, compact spinning and air-jet

spinning is steadily increasing in India. These new spinning machines increase the yarn productivity

by three to tenfold over the conventional ring spinning system. Therefore, the adoption and

upgradation of new spinning systems for better economy of cotton spinning sector need to be given

priority.

New application avenues for natural fibres like cotton, jute, flax, etc. in nonconventional textile like

nonwovens and technical textiles need fullest exploration. The current size of the technical textile

market in India is estimated at Rs. 41,756 crore, which is expected to grow at a rate of 11% in the

coming years. Proper technology and R&D intervention are needed to harvest the potential of this

sector for cotton and other natural fibres. India has plenty of natural fibres, which have not been

commercially exploited to their maximum potential. Extraction of natural fibres (coconut fibre,

pineapple, palm, sisal) has to be made scientific, energy-efficient and economically viable. Composite

product development by use of natural fibres alone or in combination with synthetic fibres is the need

of the hour for long-term sustainability.

Dyeing of textiles consumes maximum volume of water (80-85%) among all the wet processing

operations. It also causes maximum pollution by various chemicals and auxiliaries such as dispersants,

leveling agents, salts, acids, alkalies and carriers. These make the generated effluent difficult to

biodegrade, excessively coloured and high in total dissolved solids (TDS). Research should focus on

development of natural dyes that produce easily degradable effluents.

Nanotechnology manipulates atoms, molecules or clusters into structures or devices with new

properties for varied applications, such as in materials (coatings and composites), electronics (displays

and batteries) and health care (like pharmaceuticals). There is a need to undertake research for

conservation of resources in agriculture production, postharvest management and processing using

nanotechnology as a new research tool.

Policy Issues

Indian Government has intervened from time to time to boost up the competitiveness of the Indian

textile industry in the global scenario. The modernization and development of textiles and clothing

industry are being pursued by the Government of India through various Plan Schemes, namely,

Technology Up-gradation Fund Scheme (TUFS), Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS),

Technology Mission on Cotton (TMC), Technology Mission on Technical Textiles (TMTT), Integrated

Scheme for Powerloom Sector Development, Knitwear Technology Mission as well as Schemes for

Development of Handloom and Handicraft Clusters. Through these schemes, the Government

proposes to increase the investment in the textile sector to create more employment.

Though there is no recognizable impact yet on the global slowdown on Indian Textiles and Clothing

industry and its exports to various countries, the government has introduced several provisions in the

Foreign Trade Policy 2009-14, further supplemented in August 2010, for providing incentives to the

T&C exports. This includes incentives for exports to focus markets and products, interest subvention

on pre-shipment credit, duty-free import of trimmings etc. required by the garmenting industry and

duty-free import of tools by the handicrafts industry. This apart, financial assistance is being provided

to the exporters under the Market Development Assistance Scheme and the Market Access Initiative

Scheme, for enhancing market share in existing markets and for exploring new ones. The Political

factors may continue to remain conducive for development of textile and clothing sector in the coming

years. But better emphasis needs to be given for efficient use of available resources, modernization of

technology, environmental sustainability in harvest and postharvest operations and energy

conservation.

Environmental Issues

Environmental considerations in agriculture production have assumed greater emphasis in recent

years. Moderation in the use of fertilizers and pesticides has been suggested from time to time, but

there has been very little impact. Environmentally conscious countries in Europe and America seem to

prefer what has been euphemistically called “organic” cotton, grown without the use of objectionable

inputs. The development of “colour cotton” or naturally tinted cotton has assumed significance at a

time when the use of harmful dyes is questioned by some countries in the west.

Climate change is one of the main challenges facing our society today. Industries, scientists, politicians

and society are called on to halt rising emission of greenhouse gases and make more efficient use of

existing resources. Cotton industry is one of the largest industries of the world and its impact on

greenhouse gas emission and climate change is significant. However, the measurement of carbon

footprint of textile value chain is ambiguous because of its complex nature and hence, needs a reliable

research.

With Engineered fibre production on the field endowed with various traits by biotechnological means

it may be possible to envision a “minimal wet processing” sequence for cotton textile as we move along.

The major environmental issues in the cotton textile sector are: high-energy consumption, use of toxic

chemicals, chemical discharge creating water pollution and generation of solid waste. The textile

sector is being constantly condemned as being one of the world’s worst offenders of pollution. As many

as 2,000 different chemicals are used in the textile industry, from dyes to transfer agents. Water,

which is a finite and quickly depleting resource, is used at every step of the processing both to convey

and fix chemicals on to the textile substrates, and to wash the excess chemicals into the discharge. The

water full of chemical additives is then expelled as waste. The need of the hour is to develop

environmentally appealing technologies.

The major occupational hazards in cotton sector are due to use of unsafe chemicals, generation of fibre

dust, vibration and noise, and monotonous repetitive processes. The major problems associated with

dust are respiratory problems that include byssinosis, bronchitis and bronchial asthma. The problems

are highly prevalent in mills of developing countries like India. Noise induced deafness, occupational

skin diseases and respiratory disorders were found to be some of the common ailments in the textile

clusters. Increasing incidence of cardiac failure among workers owing to inhaling of gases/smoke

containing carbon disulphide for prolonged period too is a major cause for concern. More efforts could

be directed at providing an environment conducive to the general worker's health.

Strengths, Weaknesses and Threats

CIRCOT is a pioneering institute in the country actively involved in Research and Developmental

activities in postharvest processing of cotton. The institute has a well established state of art facility for

Ginning located at the Ginning Training Centre at Nagpur and laboratories with sophisticated

equipments in the field of Mechanical Processing and Chemical Processing of the Cotton textiles at its

Headquarters in Mumbai. CIRCOT has established its prominence in the textile sector by earning the

status of the Referral Laboratory on Cotton Textiles and is also accredited by National Accreditation

Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). It has well qualified and trained scientific

and technical staff. The institute has emerged as a Nodal Agency for developing certified reference

materials for cotton and its allied products for calibration of the instruments used in textile testing. The

institute serves as the connecting link between the cotton producer on one hand and the trade &

textile industry on the other for bettering the cotton based textile sector. Trade and industry look on

this Institute as the primary agency for promoting Indian cotton across the globe. With the induction

of the Zonal Technology Management and Business Process Development (ZTM BPD) unit at

CIRCOT, Mumbai, the commercialization wing and the transfer of technology activities have gained

new impetus.

The octogenarian institute is now faced with the drain of experienced scientific and technical

personnel’s. With the depleting human resource not adequately replaced lack of scientific strength is

emerging as a prime weakness. Despite its potential to expand in the realm of the research agenda,

the institute is unable to do so due to the lack of physical space. The Institute lacks international

exposure, and interaction with the textile industry is not to the desired extent.

Though cotton has its inherent quality characteristics for wear comfort, the technological

development in the textile processing sector is enormous and active, which may lead to generation of

synthetic textile material with cotton-like properties. This may threaten the use of naturally grown

cotton fibre. There is a need to keep pace with the fast growing textile industry, which upgrades itself

with latest technologies. Many of the industry supported research associations are shifting their

research focus on man-made fibre proving to be a potential threat to the growth of cotton textile

industry in the country.

New Opportunities

India has emerged as the second largest producer of Cotton in the world. The emergence of Quota Free

trade regime has opened enough scope for the advantage of the Indian textile industry. CIRCOT

working in R&D of the postharvest processing of the cotton can play a proactive role in developing

quality cotton and create a niche in the world market for the Indian Cotton, so that both farmers and

traders of the country can benefit. Improved environmental concern, because of climate change is

creating an urge for production and use of natural and eco-friendly commodities produced with

environment friendly processes. Having established its capabilities in R&D of cotton based textiles

and other value added products, CIRCOT can venture into development of technologies for use of

cotton as well as other natural fibres for different end-use applications.

Opportunities exist for development of indigenous machinery for harvesting and ginning of

(mechanically harvested) cotton. Indigenous technologies for fabric testing keeping in mind the

requirements of fabrics used in hot climatic zones like India, have to be developed. In future, cheaper

and more accurate test methods for fabric evaluations may be demanded specially for the tests like

fabric handle which are now done subjectively. Also newer methods of fabric formations have to be

developed for application in technical textiles that offer good scope for value addition to some of the

unexploited natural fibres such as banana, coconut and others by blending with cotton using modern

technologies such as DREF-Friction Spinning Technology. Nanotechnology and smart textiles also

offer good scope for value addition.

The development of biodegradable composite materials has great scope in future as an alternative to

plastics. Strong developmental activities focusing primarily on products and processes need to be

pursued in India. Towards such an objective, a multi-agency approach involving the industry,

Government, academia, research laboratory, certification/standardization and user agencies would

be required for a quantum jump in textile-based composite technology in the country.

Opportunities also exist for development of natural fibre nonwovens for wide variety of end uses like

in filtration, wipes, diapers, home textiles, geo-textiles etc. The use of nanotechnology for improved

filtration efficiency, wetting and wicking behaviour has to be explored. With a strong natural fibre

base available in India, CIRCOT has an unique opportunity to come out with engineered nonwoven

products for variety of end-use applications.

The use of bio-based renewable resources holds great potential for industrial application in many

sectors, including energy, organic chemicals, polymers, fabrics and health-care products. In general, a

bio-based economy offers many new opportunities. Development of bio-based products and economic

growth for the regions that are abundant in biomass resources is envisioned. Creation of new

innovative business sectors and entrepreneurial skills, improved energy security by reducing

dependence on non-renewable resources, enhanced economic and environmental linkages between

the agricultural sector and a more prosperous and sustainable industrial sector are the advantages

which are foreseen. On the environmental and social front, it will aid in reduction of greenhouse gas

emissions, improving health by reducing exposure to harmful substances through substitution of

natural bio-based materials for chemical and synthetic materials, job creation and rural development.

Environmental considerations are today at the forefront. Polluting dyeing industries are being ordered

to close down. CIRCOT has already begun work on environment friendly processing and dyeing

technologies. Research work on application and refinement of nascent water saving technologies, such

as plasma and supercritical carbon dioxide in textile processing will help in drastically reducing the

water requirement and the pollution load.

Utilization of by-products of cotton plant for high value end products have not been fully exploited for

farmers’ benefit. This area offers many opportunities for the Institute to grow and excel. The institute

can offer its expertise in ginning and other fields to act as consultant and train personnel from African

countries where cotton cultivation is now getting more attention. Capacity building and

entrepreneurship development in all spheres of cotton sector is an immense opportunity awaiting

CIRCOT.

Goals/Targets

The foregone chapters have documented the need for preparation of VISION 2050, described the

operating environment of the cotton value chain and related technologies, and outlined the future

challenges for the next 40 years, which need to be addressed by the cotton technology sector, in

general, and CIRCOT, in particular, so that the institute’s R&D activities can be planned for fruitful

results and benefits to the stakeholders.

The goals and targets for CIRCOT’s Vision 2050 document are as follows:

1. Mechanisation of cotton harvesting, processing and biomass management at field level

Precision cotton pickers and strippers for Indian cotton farms

Combined harvesting and cleaning machines

On farm cleaners and module builders for cleaning and handling of mechanically

harvested cotton

Integrated machine for uprooting, cleaning, chipping and packaging of cotton stalk

and establishment of supply chain mechanism at unorganised sector

High value compost from cotton biomass for soil health management.

2. Development of state-of-the-art technologies for cotton ginning

High productive computer controlled roller ginning machines

Indigenous pre and post-cleaning machinery for mechanically picked and stripped

cottons

High speed rotary knife roller ginning technology for Indian cotton

Energy efficient, worker friendly machines and processes for ginning, baling, heaping,

humidification, and material handling at ginneries

Establishment of composite cotton processing units from ginnery to garmenting

including scientific cottonseed processing.

3. Quality assurance of Indian Cottons

End use based continuous Intelligence and data gathering system to forecast the

quantity and quality of Indian cotton for spinning industry

Engineered cotton quality through AICCIP for different end uses

Design and development of online National Information system for objective data on

cotton fibre quality, quantity and direct marketing.

4. Cotton-rich blended textiles and improvement in spinning/weaving systems

Development of cotton-rich blended yarns and fabrics to suit the requirements of

smart textiles for application in communication, EMF shielding, shape memory

fabrics/garments, health monitoring & care, and conductive textiles

Technology to produce finer quality yarns from natural fibres like banana, coir, sisal

and ramie

Shortening of the process sequence in spinning to improve productivity

Development of alternate twisting elements in ring spinning to break the production

barrier by newer design of ring-traveller arrangement

Development of on-line sensor based fibre quality assessment system in spinning

Affordable and energy efficient weaving and knitting machines for unorganised

sectors of Indian textile industry

Development of 3-Dimensional fabrics and shaped garments by weaving

Adoption and customisation of fabric touch tester for Indian conditions.

5. Advanced application of cotton and other natural fibres in technical textiles

Development of innovative multifunctional cotton based nonwovens for use in

apparel, automotive, hygiene, agriculture, filtration and packaging applications

Development of cotton based fabrics and garments for sports textile applications

Development of low-cost indigenous needle punching machine for nonwoven

production

Development of fully biodegradable natural fibre based packaging materials at low

cost.

Development of testing methods and standards for performance characterisation of

smart and intelligent textile fabrics including Non-destructive testing methods

Development of super strong interface for production of natural fibre composites

Development of green composites as an alternative to plastic materials

Design and development of protective textiles for workers engaged in industry and

agricultural farm.

6. Environment friendly processing of cotton textiles for various functional properties to mitigate

climate change

Development of ultra-low liquor or water free technologies for colouration and

finishing of cotton textiles using supercritical carbon dioxide, electrochemical, plasma

technologies and ultrasonic means

Extraction of natural dyes and development of suitable dyeing process to achieve

uniform durable colouration of cotton textile

Novel bio-molecules of microbial origin for processing and finishing of cotton textiles

Development of health and hygienic soil repellent-antibacterial textiles

Development of water free digital printing technology for textiles including 3D

printing

Development of breathable protective textiles for electromagnetic radiation,

ultraviolet rays, fire, insect, chemicals and pesticide protection

Development of novel functional finishing methods for cotton and blended textiles

through nano-, bio-, and plasma technologies

Development of energy efficient eco-friendly effluent treatment methods by

mechanical, physicochemical and biological techniques

Development of high performance fabrics/garments to address the problems of

climate change.

7. Nanotechnological intervention to produce high-end products

Development of colourless colour for cotton textiles through nano-scale architecture

Development of comfortable light weight smart textiles to monitor physiological

conditions of health

Development of green composites by use of bio-mimicking wood

Development of transparent cotton textiles, paper and electronics

Development of multi-functional durable nano-finished cotton textiles.

8. Development of high value compounds and energy from biomass

Fractionation technology for obtaining cellulose, lignin, Nano-lignocellulose, Nano-

lignin and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural(HMF) from plant biomass for application in

composites, textile finishing agent, pharmaceutical and enzyme carriers

Production of bio-ethanol, bio-oil, bio-hydrogen, activated charcoal and gaseous

products from plant bio-mass

Off- farm production of cellulose from micro organisms.

Cotton/blended fabrics coated with super absorbents to trap moisture from air.

9. Effective and remunerative utilisation of plant biomass

Gossypol free cottonseed cake for human and animal consumption

Development of energy-efficient and economically viable mechanical, chemical and

enzymatic delinting processes

Low cost technology for the preparation of MDF (Medium Density Fibre Board).

10. CIRCOT’s upgradation to the status of a deemed University

Undergraduate programme (B.Tech) in cotton post-harvest technology and post

graduate programmes (M.Tech and Ph.D.) in textile technology, textile chemistry,

microbiology, nanotechnology and technical textiles

Customized training programmes, workshops, short courses, seminars and conferences

Establishment of infrastructure and facilities for creation of deemed university.

11. Development of human resource and entrepreneurship

Establishment of International Centre for Ginning Training and Research (ICGTR) at

Nagpur

Establishment of Ginning Training Centre in cotton growing belts in Southern and

Northern parts of India

Training programmes including certificate course on cotton quality, ginning, spinning

technology, nano-technology, value addition to biomass and technical textiles

Entrepreneurship development programmes for stakeholders in cotton sector

Commercialization of IPR enabled technologies and other knowhow, through public-

private partnership.

Way Forward

Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT) is an institute which has been carrying

out significant research and development on the postharvest technology of cotton since 1924, making

a positive impact to cotton farmers and the textile industry. The basic, applied and strategic research

in the postharvest processing of cotton and other natural fibres done at CIRCOT have resulted in the

development of machinery and generation of technologies which has addressed the concerns of

efficiency, economy and environment through the past 90 years. Over the years, India has emerged as

the second largest producer of cotton, which is the primary raw material for the textile industry. The

improvements achieved in the productivity levels has enabled the domestic cotton supply to attain a

prime position and cater to the fibre needs of the domestic mill sector besides providing sufficient

quantity for export. This has largely reduced the dependence of the domestic mills on imported cotton.

Novel technologies researched and established by CIRCOT has also helped to promote the textile

usage of Indian cottons either alone, or in blends with polyester and other natural fibres for various

applications.

‘Sustainable’ is the mantra of the future. Keeping this mantra in vision, in the coming years India

should aim to become the first not only in production and export of cotton, but also in development of

technologies and value added products. Needless to say, that CIRCOT wants to play a major role in

this evolving scenario. CIRCOT views to harness its potential of brain, brawn and attitude to move

forward and seam itself with the fast changing scenario on cotton technology and vigorously pursue

and establish itself in challenging areas. Accordingly, the programmes initiated in CIRCOT needs to

emphasise on newer areas of application, such as agrotextiles, technical textiles, medical and health

care, smart and intelligent textiles, made from cotton and other natural fibres, such that the demand

for cotton would be on a crest always. This will ensure that the primary objective of the Indian cotton

farmer getting competitive remuneration on a sustainable basis is also achieved. Additional income to

the cotton farmers would also to be achieved through effective utilisation of cotton stalk for the

manufacture of value-added by-products. The research activities of the Institute in the coming

decades would significantly focus on generation of technologies and processes for a green earth. The

linkage of the institute with farmers and the textile industries would undergo a sea change with the

adoption of a new business development model for its technology transfer activities, with special

emphasis on rural employment generation and augmentation in farm income.

In its way forward towards 2050 or another ninety more years, CIRCOT desires to achieve one

milestone every year. The challenging but exciting field of cotton technology offers enough

opportunities to do so, integrating the interests of all stake-holders in its value chain, right from the

farmer to the consumer. The goal will always be on building up CIRCOT as a self-sustained institution

of international repute with the vision of “Global Excellence in Cotton Technology”.