Ludhiana: A central govt-supported textile facility meant to empower Ludhiana’s vast garment industry is struggling to stay afloat due to dilapidated infrastructure, non-functional machinery, and acute staff shortage.The Integrated Textile & Apparel Development Centre (ITADC), run by the Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA) near Cheema Chowk, currently operates with just two contractual staff members. Most of its machinery—including rapier looms, circular knitting machines, dyeing equipment, and embroidery units—lies obsolete or non-functional.As a result, testing services are restricted to basic parameters like yarn count, blend composition, and GSM. Student training is severely hampered, with demonstrations often limited to explaining machine parts rather than live operations.The centre’s dismal state has prompted a proposal for restructuring and modernisation. Official correspondence between the state govt and the textile commissioner’s office emphasises the urgent need for an upgrade, highlighting Ludhiana’s hub of 8,000 textile units and its growing technical-textile segment, including high-altitude and medical clothing.Staff in-charge Udbhav Verma and trainer SK Pathania confirmed that the govt is considering establishing a centre of excellence. Under the plan, the existing facility could be relocated and integrated into a modern hub providing advanced testing, R&D, technical consultancy, and product development.Local manufacturers and industry bodies have called for immediate intervention. “For a city with thousands of textile units and an expanding technical-textile segment, the upgradation much needed to address a long-standing infrastructure gap, modern machinery, laboratories is much needed,” said manufacturer Simranjit Singh.Echoing similar concerns, Vinod Thapar, chairperson of the Knitwear Club, said, “It needs to be upgraded. The machines are outdated. The government has to pay bills and salaries for a facility that is proving to be of no use to the industry. It is better to close it if it is not going to be modernised and upgraded.”
