ITAMMA Awards 2024–25 in Coimbatore Celebrate Industry Excellence and Growth Vision
March 18, 2026 | By Textile Sphere India
The Indian Textile Accessories & Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (ITAMMA) successfully hosted its ITAMMA Awards 2024–25 Ceremony along with a special felicitation for its Immediate Past President, Bhavesh Patel, at Jenny’s Club, Coimbatore, on 7 March 2026. The event brought together leading industry stakeholders, technologists, and policymakers, highlighting both achievements and the future roadmap of India’s textile machinery sector.
The evening commenced with a welcome address by Omprakash Mantry, President, ITAMMA, who outlined the current global challenges impacting the textile industry. He pointed to geopolitical tensions, Red Sea disruptions, inflationary pressures, and protectionist tariffs as key factors constraining India’s textile exports during 2025–26. He noted a projected decline in exports to the U.S. and increased logistics costs affecting trade with Europe and other regions.
Despite these headwinds, Mantry expressed optimism about India’s long-term growth prospects. He emphasised that the China+1 strategy, upcoming Free Trade Agreements with the UK and UAE, and a growing focus on sustainability and value-added products will play a crucial role in strengthening India’s global competitiveness. He reiterated the industry’s ambitious target of achieving USD 100 billion in textile exports by 2030, supported by policy initiatives such as Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes and infrastructure development.
The ceremony featured the felicitation of ITAMMA Award winners for 2024–25, recognising excellence in manufacturing, innovation, exports, and “Make in India” initiatives. The association also released the latest edition of its publication, ITAMMA Voice No. 19, showcasing key industry developments and insights.
Chief Guest S. Krishnakumar, Managing Director of Sulochana Cotton Spinning Mills and Deputy Chairman of the Southern India Mills’ Association (SIMA), lauded ITAMMA’s longstanding contribution to the textile industry since 1948. He appreciated the association’s unique and diverse award categories, which motivate manufacturers to continuously improve performance and innovation.
Krishnakumar expressed confidence that the Indian textile industry is emerging from a challenging phase and is poised for strong growth. He highlighted several government initiatives, including FTAs with major markets, GST rationalisation for the MMF value chain, PM MITRA Parks, and the National Technical Textiles Mission, as key enablers of investment and competitiveness. He also commended the leadership of Mr. Bhavesh Patel and encouraged his continued involvement in guiding the industry.
A key highlight of the event was the presentation by Guest Speaker D. Venkadesan, CEO of Sri Jayajothi & Co. Pvt. Ltd., titled “Innovation is Not Technology – It is People.” Drawing from his company’s experience as a leading spinning mill, he emphasised that true innovation stems from human ingenuity, organisational culture, and leadership rather than technology alone. He underlined the importance of empowering employees, fostering creativity, and adopting a proactive mindset to drive sustainable progress. According to him, technology serves as an enabler, but meaningful transformation is achieved through people-driven initiatives and continuous improvement.
The event also featured insightful technical presentations, including a session on “The Next Wave of Textile Manufacturing: Automation, AI and Smart Factories” by Jaivardhan of Indo Texnology Pvt. Ltd., along with presentations by AM Small Finance Bank and Ayushman Solar, highlighting financial and sustainable energy solutions for the textile sector.
The event concluded with the felicitation of Mr. Bhavesh Patel, recognising his significant contributions and leadership during his tenure as ITAMMA President (2024–25). The event not only celebrated industry excellence but also underscored a forward-looking vision driven by innovation, collaboration, and resilience, positioning India’s textile machinery sector for sustained global growth.
#TAGS India’s textile machinery sector, Omprakash Mantry, Bhavesh Patel, China+1 strategy,