TEXTILE RESEARCH ASSOCIATIONS - Ministry of Textiles

m i n i s t r y o f t e x t i l e simprovement in productivity. TheHandicraft sector is also getting benefitthrough R&D works of IJIRA.IJIRA has three Regional Centres atShantipur (West Bengal), Guwahati(Assam) and Vizianagram (AndhraPradesh).WOOLRESEARCHASSOCIATION, THANE (WRA)The Wool Research Association, Thanewas established and registered under theSocieties Registration Act 1860 inOctober 1963. It is engaged in variousactivities, necessary for the technologicalupgradation of the Indian WoollenIndustry, which include research anddevelopment work, special trainingprogramme, educational activities,foreign delegations’ visits, workshops andpaper presentations at national andinternational level. It has become anAssociate Member of International WoolTextile Organization (IWTO), Brussels,Belgium.Wool Research Association has thefollowing five departments – (i) QualityTest House - ISO 9001-2000 certified, (ii)Chemical Processing Laboratory, (iii) EcoTesting & Analytical Labotatory, (iv) TextileDesigning (CAD-CAM)-Woven & Knitted,and (v) Yarn & Fabric Manufacturing labs.Sponsored Projectsi) During 2003-04, the Khadi & VillageIndustries Commission, Mumbaisanctioned a ‘Science &Technology’ Project entitled“Introduction of Indian CrossbreedFine Wools for Woollen KhadiProducts like Shawls, Lohies, etc.”ii) The Ministry of Textiles,Government of India sponsored thefollowing two projects to beundertaken by the Wool ResearchAssociation in collaboration with theCentral Silk Board, Bangalore:(a) Optimise Yarn ProcessingParameters for spun Yarn ofEri, Silk/Wool blends and todevelop value addedproducts; and(b) To design and fabricatesuitable machinery forprocessing silk and silk/woolblends upto yarn stage fordecentralized sector andcottage industry.Industrial Consultancy & TechnicalServicesThe Association provided variousindustrial consultancy and technicalservices to the Indian Woollen Industrythrough its established infrastructureduring 2003-04, which included thefollowing:●●Consultancy to M/s SiddharthColourchem in application &improved properties of metal freereactive dyes on wool;Consultancy to M/s BhutticoWeavers Society (Kullu) to set upa Dyeing & Finishing facility Centrefor shawls and other woollensmade from Wool/Angora &Pashmina;170