By K. Gopalakrishnan
Roadshows across Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Salem and Madurai receive strong industry response, with textile leaders emphasising technology adoption, productivity, modernisation and innovation as key drivers of future growth
The promotional journey for India ITME 2026, the 12th edition of India’s premier textile machinery and technology exhibition, has received an enthusiastic response from the textile industry across Tamil Nadu. The campaign, which commenced with a curtain-raiser in Coimbatore, travelled through Tirupur, Erode and Salem before concluding in Madurai, bringing the message of technology, innovation and modernisation directly to some of the country’s most important textile clusters.
Scheduled to be held from December 4–9, 2026, at The India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida, India ITME 2026 is expected to be the largest edition in the history of the India ITME series. The exhibition is expected to feature 1,800-plus exhibitors from more than 95 countries, attract over 1,50,000 visitors and occupy approximately 2,40,000 sq. m. across 18 exhibition halls.
The exhibition will focus on advanced textile machinery, sustainable manufacturing and next-generation textile technologies. It will also highlight developments aligned with initiatives such as Make in India, PM MITRA Parks and the National Technical Textiles Mission, with emphasis on resource efficiency, circular economy models, productivity and competitiveness.
The roadshow across Tamil Nadu provided an opportunity for the India ITME Society to engage directly with textile entrepreneurs, exporters, industry associations and other stakeholders and underline the importance of technology adoption as the Indian textile industry prepares for its next phase of growth.
Coimbatore: Setting the Stage for INDIA ITME 2026
The road show formally commenced with a preview event at Coimbatore, bringing together prominent stakeholders from the South Indian textile industry.
Welcoming the gathering and Elaborating on the scale and significance of the upcoming exhibition, Ketan Sanghvi, Chairman, India ITME Society, said the 2026 edition would be the largest in the history of the India ITME series.
“The 12th edition of India ITME will bring the global textile industry together on an unprecedented scale, with 1,800-plus exhibitors, participation from more than 95 countries and over 1,50,000 expected visitors. Spread across approximately 2,40,000 sq. m. and 18 exhibition halls, ITME 2026 will be a strategic destination for the textile machinery and engineering industry,” he said.
The Coimbatore event also brought a strong industry perspective. Prabhu Dhamodharan, Convenor, Indian Texpreneurs Federation (ITF), said the Indian textile industry was currently in a favourable position following several years of turbulence.
“India is in a sweet spot today. The FTAs, GST reforms, supply chain resilience, and the growing importance of nearshoring are creating a favourable environment for Indian textiles. With 95 per cent of the textile value chain supported domestically, India has a unique advantage in an increasingly uncertain global environment,” he said.
He added that the opportunities created by FTAs would need to be supported by investments in technology, innovation and product development.
“The opportunities are substantial, but to capitalise on them, we need to build capabilities. Exhibitions like ITME provide the ideal platform for the industry to discover technologies, forge partnerships and accelerate this transformation,” he added.
The event also highlighted the additional attractions planned alongside the exhibition, including ‘Textile Horizons’, a two-day international conference scheduled for December 5–6, the ‘CEO Conclave’ and the ‘ITME Technical Awards’.
Those registering at the Coimbatore curtain-raiser event would also be eligible for discounted registration for India ITME 2026.
Tirupur: Technology to Drive the Next Phase of Growth
From Coimbatore, the campaign moved to Tirupur, one of India’s most important knitwear and apparel manufacturing clusters. The preview event at the Tiruppur Exporters’ Association (TEA) focused strongly on productivity, modernisation and technology adoption.
K.M. Subramaniam, President, TEA, said the textile industry was witnessing positive trends and that recently signed FTAs had provided a much-needed boost to the sector.
“The new FTAs signed have come as a shot in the arm for the industry. Now is the time to take steps towards improving productivity. We need to aim for modernisation and expansion. India ITME 2026 has come at the right time,” he said.
He emphasised the significance of having access to the latest technologies within India. “The latest technologies will be showcased at the exhibition. Moreover, we no longer need to go abroad, as we did earlier, to see the latest textile machinery and technologies. They are now being showcased right at our doorstep. I am sure this will be one of the best fairs globally,” he said.
N. Thirukkumaran, General Secretary, TEA, highlighted the importance of technology in determining Tirupur’s next phase of growth.
Tirupur already possesses a strong and integrated ecosystem encompassing knitting, dyeing, processing, garmenting, embroidery, finishing, logistics and exports. However, he stressed that the cluster’s future competitiveness cannot depend merely on increasing production capacity.
“Our competitiveness will increasingly depend on quality, productivity, automation, energy efficiency, sustainability, speed to market and innovation,” he said.
He also pointed to the increasing role of automation, artificial intelligence, IoT, digital monitoring and preventive maintenance in textile manufacturing.
With Tirupur predominantly comprising MSMEs, technology adoption becomes particularly important in improving productivity and competitiveness.
“With FTAs opening up new markets, we cannot afford to lag in productivity. That is why ITME 2026 assumes considerable importance. I encourage entrepreneurs from Tirupur to visit the exhibition and explore the latest machinery and technologies,” he added.
Erode: Creating a Regional Hub for Innovation
The next stop was Erode, where the promotional event was held at Texvalley. The event highlighted the strategic importance of the region and the role that technology can play in strengthening its textile ecosystem.
E.P. Kumar, Director, Texvalley, pointed out that Erode, Namakkal, Tirupur, Salem and Karur are all located within an hour’s drive of Texvalley, positioning the facility as a potential hub for textile entrepreneurs and stakeholders across these important centres.
“We are working towards positioning Texvalley as a hub for innovation, R&D and new product development. We also aim to provide support in devising marketing strategies for the textile entrepreneurs of this region, thereby strengthening the entire textile ecosystem,” he said.
The importance of India ITME 2026 for Erode’s textile industry was also underlined by V.P. Subramaniam, President, Textile and Garments Exporters Association, Erode.
“Manufacturers will get to know about the latest textile machinery and technologies, which can help them improve efficiency, enhance productivity and strengthen their competitiveness,” he said.
The Erode roadshow thus reinforced the broader objective of the campaign—to ensure that technology and machinery developments showcased at India ITME 2026 reach textile businesses across regional clusters.
Salem: Technology and Exports as Growth Imperatives
The promotional campaign subsequently moved to Salem, another important textile centre in Tamil Nadu. Addressing the gathering at Hotel Radisson, Salem, Ganesan, President, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Salem Chapter, highlighted the city’s longstanding importance as a textile hub.
He emphasised that technology adoption and export growth would be critical for the region to strengthen its position in the global textile market.
“If the industry here is to grow further and strengthen its position in the global market, it needs to embrace new technologies and focus on increasing exports,” he said.
He also urged textile entrepreneurs in the region to use India ITME 2026 as an opportunity to gain first-hand exposure to the latest developments in textile machinery and technology.
Madurai: Staying Ahead Through Technology
The final leg of the Tamil Nadu promotional campaign was held in Madurai, where the preview event took place at Hotel Royal Court.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. N. Jagadeesan, President, Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Madurai Chapter, highlighted India’s emergence as a major global textile exporter and stressed the importance of technological advancement in sustaining this position.
According to him, India ITME 2026 would provide an important platform for textile industry stakeholders to understand emerging technologies and developments shaping the sector.
“Technology upgradation and adoption are what will help give the industry its competitive edge and is a key reason why every textile industrialist should visit India ITME 2026,” he said.
His message reflected a common theme that emerged across all five locations: technology adoption will be central to India’s ability to strengthen its position in global textile and apparel markets.
Strong Industry Response Across the Roadshow
Reflecting on the response to the campaign, S. Senthil Kumar, Honorary Treasurer, India ITME Society, expressed satisfaction with the participation across all five locations.
“We are extremely happy with the response the road show has received. The participation from textile entrepreneurs and industry stakeholders in every city has been very encouraging and reflects the strong interest in India ITME 2026,” he said.
He also acknowledged the support extended by industry associations and organisations across the various locations in making the events successful.
“The response has given us tremendous confidence, and we look forward to welcoming the industry to what promises to be a highly successful edition of India ITME,” he added.
Building Momentum Towards India ITME 2026
The Tamil Nadu roadshow has provided a strong beginning to the promotional campaign for India ITME 2026. More importantly, the discussions across Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Salem and Madurai highlighted a common industry priority: the next phase of textile growth will need to be driven by technology, productivity, efficiency, automation, sustainability, innovation and value addition.
Dr.Seema Srivastava, Executive Director, India ITME Society, expressed her appreciation for the continued support extended by the industry. “The presence of the who’s who of the South Indian and national textile industry is extremely encouraging. Your support motivates us to work harder and make India ITME 2026 a truly meaningful platform for the industry,” she said.
For a textile industry seeking to capitalise on new FTAs, diversify exports, strengthen domestic manufacturing and compete more effectively in global markets, access to advanced machinery and technology will become increasingly important.
Against this backdrop, India ITME 2026 and its ‘ITME Next’ theme assume particular significance. By bringing global machinery manufacturers, technology providers, textile producers, exporters and industry stakeholders together on one platform, the exhibition aims to create opportunities for technology discovery, business partnerships and knowledge exchange.
The enthusiastic response across Tamil Nadu suggests that the industry is already preparing for this next phase. As the countdown to December 2026 gathers momentum, India ITME Society will continue its outreach to textile clusters and industry stakeholders, building anticipation for what is positioned as the largest India ITME edition to date.