SITRA in Coimbatore to set up laboratory for sportswear, athleisure wear

The South India Textile Research Association (SITRA) in Coimbatore will set up a laboratory soon to test fabrics used to make garments for sports and athletics (sportswear and athleisure).

The Tamil Nadu government recently announced in its Interim Budget for 2026-27 that it will give ₹6 crore to SITRA to set up a laboratory.

Prakash Vasudevan, director of SITRA, told The Hindu on Friday that a 2,000 sq.ft laboratory will be set up soon with imported machinery to test fabrics that are used to make sportswear and athleisure wear. The Association has developed the required infrastructure at about ₹30 lakh and is likely to spend another ₹30 lakh, apart from the funds from the Tamil Nadu government, to purchase the requirement equipment.

Less than half a dozen companies in India make these garments and there is just one laboratory in Mumbai to test the fabrics. Most of the manufacturers currently import fabrics to make sportswear or athleisure wear. These fabrics need to be tested regularly for various parameters – stretchability, moisture absorption capacity, softness, and so on. These garments are highly engineered right from yarn to finishing and are in huge demand in India and abroad. When a company imports the fabric samples, these need to be tested to see if the fabric will meet the specifications of the garment. Setting up a laboratory for this purpose will encourage more companies to go in for apparel used for sports and athletics, which are highly value added. “The laboratory can be commissioned in three months from the time of receipt of funds,” he said.

The SITRA has also submitted a proposal to the National Technical Textile Mission to set up a facility here at ₹20 crore to develop the fibre to make yarn for these garments. If this project is sanctioned, it will be a major boost to production of sportswear in India, he added.