The foundation stone for the South India Textile Research Association (SITRA) was laid by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 25th December 1955. Under the purview of the Ministry of Textiles, SITRA is an autonomous scientific research organization with a membership of 376 mills, comprising 465 units, spread across India and also abroad in countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Malaysia, Kenya and Tanzania.

The main services rendered by SITRA are Process Development Research, Product Development Research, Consultation services for individual mills, Testing of material at different stages of processing and Training programmes for general or specific needs. Product Development effort includes contributions that SITRA has made through development of a process technique for Siliconised Silk Sutures, increasing the Wear-Life of Cellulosics, developing Energy Saving Cotton Spindle Tape, Core Spun Sewing Thread, Anti-bacterial Finishing of Fabric, prosthetic grafts for arterial heart surgery and the breakthrough made by producing 100% pineapple leaf fibre and blends in the cotton system. Process Development Research at SITRA has helped mills increase operational efficiencies across all departments.

The organisation was the first to establish a Power Loom Service Centre and a Knitwear Training and Service Centre. The first Computer Aided Textile Design (CAD) Centre was established at SITRA in 1995. SITRA member mills record almost the highest spindle utilisation in the world, and highest labour productivity and production rates in the country. SITRA's Management Development Programmes (around 10 to 12 every year) has trained over 14,000 so far. The Labour Research and Training Centre established in 1982, again a 'first' in India, has trained around 30,000 workers.

Among the several awards won by SITRA are the Assocham Award, Indian Merchants Chamber Award, NRDC Award, WIPO Award, Knit-India Centenary Award and the Vasvik Industrial Research Award.

With a staff strength of around 230, activities are organised under eleven Divisions: Chemistry, Engineering, Human Resources, Instrumentation, Labour Research and Training, Liaison and Consultation, Physics, Resources Management, Spinning, Weaving and Knitting. SITRA has published about 500 publications and has a library of about 18,000 books.

Address: SITRA, P.B. No. 3205, Coimbatore Aerodrome Post, Coimbatore - 641 014
Phone: 574367 - 9
Fax: 571896
Email: sitra@vsnl.com