By Navjivan Express 
The Skill Development Course (SDC) on “Fundamentals of Technical Textiles and Composites” (TG-1) under National Technical Textile Mission (NTTM), Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, conducted at ATIRA from 06 to 22 July 2026, concluded on 22 July 2026 with a valedictory ceremony held at the ATIRA campus. Designed for undergraduate engineering students, the 120-hour programme aimed to build industry-relevant skills in technical textiles and composite materials, complemented by an industrial visit and hands-on demonstrations led by a panel of institutional and industry experts, and was successfully completed by 39 participants(including 19 female participants).
The curriculum covered the classification and applications of industrial and technical textiles; fabric formation systems including weaving, braiding, knitting, nonwovens and electrospinning; the fundamentals of composite materials and manufacturing processes; high-performance fibres and carbon fibre/prepreg technology; and testing and quality assurance methods, including mechanical, fire, electrical and non-destructive testing. Participants also undertook an industrial visit to a composite manufacturing facility.
The closing ceremony was graced by Mr. Pragnesh Shah, Director, ATIRA; Dr. Nilay N. Bhuptani, Principal, L.D. College of Engineering; Shri Unmesh Dixit, Executive Director, Ahmedabad Management Association; Prof. D. V. Bihola, HoD of Textile Technology, L.D. College of Engineering; and Mr. K. Siva Sankar, Technical Head, Urja Products Pvt. Ltd., in the presence of resource persons, and all 39 trainees.
Addressing the gathering, the dignitaries spoke about the growing importance of technical textiles and composites for Indian industry and the value of close collaboration between research institutions, academia, and industry in building a skilled workforce for the sector. They commended the participants for their engagement through the course and encouraged them to apply their newly acquired skills in their academic and professional pursuits. The ceremony concluded with the distribution of certificates to all successfully assessed trainees, followed by a vote of thanks by Dr. Kameswara Rao, Asst. Director, ATIRA.