We then asked Dr. Roy to gaze through a crystal globe and tell us the trends he foresees in technological development in textiles in the future, to which he expansively replied by saying, "As discussed above, the challenges confronted and the opportunities identified would obviously influence the technology developments. Historically, the onus has been on the western advanced economies to develop technology whether it is in the field of machinery development or in the field of man-made fibres, dyes, chemicals, auxiliaries, bio-technology, material science, micro electronics, sensor development in particular, application of IT, nanotechnology, plasma applications, etc would continue to be the focus.

Growth in technical textiles would highly influence the technology developments. In the apparel sector, automation might become a reality in the next decade. On the traditional apparel and home textile fronts, compact spinning technology is likely to invade with much higher intensity. Higher ring frame productivity through novel approaches would continue to draw the attention of researchers. Although, there are no major developments seen on the horizon in weaving, 3-D fabrics may become a major interest for specialized application.

Knits would see more and more of 'Yarn to Garment' developments. Warp knits would find enhanced application in technical textiles. Nonwovens are likely to be of prime interest and perhaps newer products and newer production methods for nonwovens are expected to be the darling of researchers and machine manufacturers. Biomimetics, the love of Japanese where the nature is mimicked through the developments in man-made fibres is also likely to attract major attention.

Expectedly, the developments in the different disciplines of Science & Technology would continue to influence the technology developments in textiles and also the product developments for newer applications", with which he closed the interview.

We deeply thank Dr Roy for enlightening our global readers with his optimistic views.

About Dr. Roy:

Dr. Roy is a PhD in textiles from the University of Manchester, UK and a former Chief Executive Officer of the Lalbhai group owned, Ahmedabad based, Arvind Mills Ltd and has over 40 years of rich experience in industry, research and teaching. He is considered an expert in denim manufacturing technology and is currently working as an independent management consultant for textile industries globally.