IIT Delhi transfers vital textile recycling technologies to industry

The Atal Centre of Textile Recycling and Sustainability (ACTRS) has transferred several innovative recycling technologies to industry partners, including solutions for handling aramid waste, technical gloves and retired national flags. ACTRS has been set up by IIT Delhi in Panipat, Haryana.

At a technology showcase organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) in Panipat, ACTRS presented its latest breakthroughs and their industrial applications. A major highlight was the unveiling of a first-of-its-kind technology for recycling synthetic national flags, along with a scientific model explaining the process. This technology has been handed over to the Sewaj Neesim Foundation, led by retired Major General Ashim Kohli, which is driving a nationwide initiative for dignified flag recycling.

The centre also showcased advanced methods for processing and recycling high-performance aramid waste – a critical material used in defence, aerospace and safety textiles. These innovations are expected to significantly boost resource efficiency in industries using technical textiles.

Ashok Malhotra, Mission Director of NTTM, lauded the centre’s contributions, and stated that NTTM is committed to making India a global leader in technical textiles through sustainable innovation and strong industry partnerships. The pioneering work at IIT Delhi is accelerating indigenisation, circularity and advanced manufacturing across the sector.

Several companies in the technical textiles industry have already begun benefiting from the centre’s research, especially its aramid fibre recycling programme, which has developed new approaches for repurposing high-performance textile waste.

ACTRS operates under the Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering and is supported by the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) of the Ministry of Textiles.