Forging the Future Together: Italy and India in Textile Innovation
June 01, 2025 | By Textile Outlook India
In this exclusive interview, Marco Salvadè, President of ACIMIT, outlines Italy’s vision for the textile machinery industry in 2025 and beyond. He discusses innovation, sustainability, India-Italy cooperation, and how Italian technology is empowering global textile transformation.
Q. Mr. Salvadè, congratulations on your leadership at ACIMIT. To begin, could you briefly highlight ACIMIT’s current priorities and vision for 2025 and beyond?
ACIMIT’s vision for 2025 and beyond focuses on consolidating Italian leadership in textile machinery by fostering innovation, sustainability and international cooperation with textile customers. We aim to strengthen the competitiveness of our member companies by supporting their digital transformation, promoting sustainable solutions and expanding into strategic markets like India. Our mission remains to represent and promote the excellence of Italian textile machinery worldwide, ensuring our industry remains at the forefront of technological progress and environmental responsibility.
Q. How is the Italian textile machinery industry adapting to the global push for automation, digitalization and AI integration?
Italian textile machinery manufacturers are strongly embracing automation and digitalization to meet evolving industry demands. From predictive maintenance to fully automated production lines, our companies are integrating advanced technologies to enhance efficiency, reduce downtime and offer greater customization. Through research and development Italian manufacturers are providing innovative solutions that enable our customers to remain competitive in a fast-changing global market.
Q. Sustainability is a key theme in textile manufacturing today. How are Italian machinery manufacturers contributing to greener, more energy-efficient solutions?
Sustainability is at the core of Italian machinery industry. Our companies are investing in technologies that reduce water, energy and chemical consumption. Solutions such as digital printing, low-liquor dyeing and energy-saving machines are widely promoted. Furthermore, we are focused on machinery that supports circular economy models, enabling textile recycling and the processing of sustainable fibers. Through our “Sustainable Technologies” project and CLIMA (Committed to Low Impact Machinery) certification, ACIMIT provides guidelines to encourage the adoption of green practices among our member companies.
Q. India remains one of the most important export destinations for Italian textile machinery. How do you view the India-Italy collaboration in the textile technology space today?
India continues to be a pivotal market for Italian textile machinery, ranking as the third-largest foreign destination for our exports. In 2024 India imported Italian textile machinery worth €132 million. Italian machinery is esteemed in India for its quality, reliability and high level of innovation. Our partnership is evolving beyond trade and the enduring relationship underscores our mutual commitment to advancing the textile industry through shared expertise and innovation.
Q. What role do Italian companies see for themselves in supporting India’s mission to become a global textile manufacturing and technical textiles hub?
Italian manufacturers are committed to supporting India to become a global textile powerhouse. By offering cutting-edge technologies tailored for high value-added segments such as technical textiles, medical textiles and eco-friendly processing, we support Indian companies to compete on a global scale.
Q. Could you share some key innovations or next-gen machinery developments from Italian manufacturers that Indian textile mills should look forward to?
Italian manufacturers are constantly introducing innovations that combine efficiency, sustainability and flexibility. These developments span the entire textile production chain, offering more automated and environmentally friendly solutions. Our companies are focusing on machinery that reduces resource consumption, enhances production flexibility and supports high value-added segments, including technical textiles and sustainable fashion. Indian textile mills can expect innovative solutions from Italy that will help them meet evolving market demands and global sustainability standards.
Q. Training and skill development are essential for technology adoption. What initiatives is ACIMIT undertaking to support knowledge transfer and technical training globally—especially in countries like India?
ACIMIT puts great emphasis on training and knowledge transfer as essential elements for the effective adoption of advanced textile technologies. We organize several activities in key markets, including India, to provide direct exposure to Italian technology and best practices. A key initiative in this regard was the establishment of the Italian Textile Technology Training Center at DKTE’s Textile & Engineering Institute in Ichalkaranji, India, launched in collaboration with DKTE and supported by Italian Government in the 2012. This center serves as a hub for training Indian technicians, students, and industry professionals on state-of-the-art Italian textile machinery. Through such initiatives, ACIMIT reaffirms its commitment to nurturing local competencies and supporting the sustainable growth of the textile industry in India and beyond.
Q. How does ACIMIT support its member companies in terms of export facilitation, policy advocacy and international trade fair participation?
ACIMIT offers support to its members, facilitating participation in key international shows, trade missions and promotional campaigns. Our collaboration with ITA – Italian Trade Agency enables our members to access new markets, build networks and showcase their technologies globally. Additionally, ACIMIT provides market intelligence and export data to help companies navigate complex international markets.
Q. Finally, what is your message to Indian textile entrepreneurs and decision-makers exploring advanced European—especially Italian—machinery solutions in 2025 and beyond?
My message to Indian textile entrepreneurs is clear: Italy offers not just machines, but innovative solutions for your future growth. Our technologies are designed to meet the challenges of a competitive, sustainable and digitized textile industry. I invite Indian textile entrepreneurs to explore Italian textile machinery as a partner for an upgrading of production process, ensuring higher productivity, quality and environmental responsibility. Together, we can shape the future of textile industry by combining Italian innovation with Indian entrepreneurial spirit and manufacturing strength.
#TAGS India-Italy cooperation, Italian textile machinery, Sustainable Technologies, CLIMA Committed to Low Impact Machinery, Italian Textile Technology Training Center, DKTE’s Textile & Engineering Institute, Ichalkaranji, technical textiles, medical textiles, eco-friendly processing