4th International Conference on
Functional Textiles &
Clothing
31st January - 2nd February, 2025
IIT Delhi, New Delhi, India
Global FTC Excellence Awards 2025
Partner Universities
Supported By
Gold Sponsor
Associate Sponsor
Publishing Partner
Exhibitor(s)
Distinguished Speakers
Dr. Parikshit Goswami
Director, Technical Textiles Research Centre University of Huddersfield, UK
Dr. Rudrajeet Pal
Professor, University of Borås, Sweden
Dr. Ashutosh Sharma
Professor, IIT Kanpur
Dr. Malgorzata Zimniewska
Inst. of Natural Fibres & Medicinal Plants, Poland
Dr. Britta Gammelgaard
Professor, University of Southern Denmark
Prof. Savvas Vassiliadis
President, Autex
Dr. Tushar K. Ghosh
Professor, NC State University, USA
Dr. Norsaadah Zakaria
Faculty of Innovation & Technology, Taylor's University, Malaysia
Mr. Ajay Sardana
President, Reliance Industries Ltd.
Mr. Sudipto Mandal
Senior Manager, Oerlikon Textile India Pvt. Ltd.
Prof. Amit Rawal
IIT Delhi
Invitation
FTC is a biannual conference held at IIT Delhi, New Delhi, that brings leading scientists, researchers,
designers, and the textile and apparel industry together, to enable exchanges on latest scientific findings,
design developments, cutting edge technologies, innovations, trends, concerns, challenges, and opportunities in
the field of Functional Textiles and Clothing. Three editions of FTC have been held in 2018, 2020 and 2023, each
of which saw participation from nearly 80 universities across the world. Held only in the physical mode, FTC has
proven to be a melting pot of ideas that provides fertile ground for networking between all
stakeholders.
Functional Clothing comprises clothing that is designed to deliver specific functionalities to users, over and above their usual functions. Functional clothing items can be classified as Protective clothing, Sports clothing, Medical clothing, Vanity clothing and clothing for military applications that performs multiple functions. Smart clothing items equipped with sensors and processors for monitoring of body parameters are a fast growing segment of this market. The market for functional clothing is predicted to reach 244.6 billion U.S. dollars by 2025.
Functional clothing is driven by developments in the field of textile materials as well as apparel production processes. Conductive textiles, composites and membranes, new fabrics, surface functionalization techniques, innovative finishes and coatings and nanotechnology are the emerging areas. CAD CAM technologies including those for 3D and 4D body measurement, pattern design, fit testing and mass customization, clothing comfort, clothing for special groups and innovative fashion design are growing fields. Internet of things, artificial intelligence, deep learning and virtual reality tools are used to design clothing that is smart, responsive and closer to the needs of the user.
The last FTC edition, held in February 2023, welcomed over 225 delegates from 20 countries who presented nearly 150 research papers on a wide spectrum of topics. The conference attracted the support of the National Technical Textile Mission of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
FTC is organised by IIT Delhi, a technology institute, in association with the World University of Design, a Design University to bring out the synergies between the fields of Technology & Design. IIT Delhi, the host institution is ranked #1 engineering institution of India. Its Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering is a leader in Textile Education & Research in the country. The World University of Design, Haryana, is India’s premier design university.
We extend a warm welcome to you to participate in the International conference on Functional Textiles and Clothing FTC 2025 at New Delhi.
Functional Clothing comprises clothing that is designed to deliver specific functionalities to users, over and above their usual functions. Functional clothing items can be classified as Protective clothing, Sports clothing, Medical clothing, Vanity clothing and clothing for military applications that performs multiple functions. Smart clothing items equipped with sensors and processors for monitoring of body parameters are a fast growing segment of this market. The market for functional clothing is predicted to reach 244.6 billion U.S. dollars by 2025.
Functional clothing is driven by developments in the field of textile materials as well as apparel production processes. Conductive textiles, composites and membranes, new fabrics, surface functionalization techniques, innovative finishes and coatings and nanotechnology are the emerging areas. CAD CAM technologies including those for 3D and 4D body measurement, pattern design, fit testing and mass customization, clothing comfort, clothing for special groups and innovative fashion design are growing fields. Internet of things, artificial intelligence, deep learning and virtual reality tools are used to design clothing that is smart, responsive and closer to the needs of the user.
The last FTC edition, held in February 2023, welcomed over 225 delegates from 20 countries who presented nearly 150 research papers on a wide spectrum of topics. The conference attracted the support of the National Technical Textile Mission of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
FTC is organised by IIT Delhi, a technology institute, in association with the World University of Design, a Design University to bring out the synergies between the fields of Technology & Design. IIT Delhi, the host institution is ranked #1 engineering institution of India. Its Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering is a leader in Textile Education & Research in the country. The World University of Design, Haryana, is India’s premier design university.
We extend a warm welcome to you to participate in the International conference on Functional Textiles and Clothing FTC 2025 at New Delhi.
Conference Highlights
|
Contests
The contests are specifically planned to encourage design, innovation and product development activities amongst students. The Poster Contest can have any innovative textile product developed by a student to be nominated. Functional Fashion contest focuses exclusively on innovative functional Clothing products. The entries will be evaluated on the basis of novelty, the problem being solved and design and viability of the proposed solution. |
|
The Functional Clothing Contest
 Team FTC 2025 invites entries for the “Functional Clothing Contest” to be held as part of the 4th International Conference on Functional Textiles and Clothing FTC2025. This unique contest aims to showcase functional clothing on the catwalk for the first time... |
|
FTC Sustainability and Circularity Workshop
TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE AND CIRCULAR TEXTILE SECTOR: SETTING A NEED-DRIVEN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AGENDA 31st January 2025, 2.30 pm to 5.00 pm  FTC 2025: WORKSHOP
TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE AND CIRCULAR TEXTILE SECTOR:
SETTING A NEED-DRIVEN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AGENDA
To combat the resource draining and polluting nature of the global textile industry, circular economy measures are increasingly adopted worldwide to initiate an accelerated transition toward generating a sustainable and resilient textile ecosystem. While at both the industry- and policy- levels major efforts are initiated, underpinning a fundamental shift towards circularity calls for developing circular economy research and innovation programs in a systemic way, and in collaboration with industry practitioners, policymakers and civic society stakeholders.
For accelerating the circular economy transition, public and private research and education funding is key to unlocking insights and solutions by supporting a wide range of circular economy research and innovation programs. Such schemes are inevitable drivers of establishing the scientific tools, methods and curricula to support the implementation of a circular textile economy, knowledge sharing and collaboration. While core research in several areas such as STEM, Business and Economics, Design, Art and Humanities are crucial, of tantamount importance is investment to support multi- and interdisciplinary research. More importantly, challenge-driven or mission-oriented research, innovation and education is crucial to enable science-based solutions. Circular economy skills and knowledge are needed in the textile economy. By introducing and incorporating circular economy concepts and thinking in school and lifelong learning curricula, research and education institutes can equip upcoming generations with the knowledge and skills that industry will require and that jobs of the future will demand, in several areas such as chemistry and materials, business and supply chain, legislation and public policy, business activities, behavioural sciences, and production to mention only a few. Several governments, such as Finland’s and France’s, have already embedded the circular economy into mainstream education and national curricula. In the run-up to COP26, EarthDay.Org has launched a Climate and Environmental Literacy campaign, which advocates for making climate education compulsory in primary and secondary education . Given this critical role of universities in driving the circular transition, this workshop aims to explore through open discussion with the participants what are the critical needs in research and education for generating research breakthroughs, need for future workforce training in different countries, as well as the development of knowledge incubators with a circular economy focus. During the workshop, organizers will guide the participants to share their insights and brainstorm on what are the critical areas for circular economy research and education to focus to drive impactful change. Join us to ensure that your insights lead the way in redefining the future of circularity in research, education, and industry.
|
|
Poster Contest
Poster abstracts are invited from students in different areas of functional textiles and clothing. The poster committee would evaluate them for scientific content, originality and presentation. Top three posters will receive a cash prize and a certificate. The decision of judges will be final and binding to all. |
Full Paper Template
(For those whose abstract has been accepted for full paper)
(For those whose abstract has been accepted for full paper)
Important Dates
|
Selected papers from FTC 2025 conference will be published by Springer as a Proceedings book
volume.
Previous proceedings can be seen below
Book Publication by
Springer-2023
|
Book Publication by
Springer-2020
|
Book Publication by
Springer-2018 
|
|
FTC Global Excellence Awards 2025
We are excited to announce the introduction of the FTC Global Excellence Awards, to be
presented at the upcoming Conference on Functional Textiles and Clothing (FTC 2025) in Jan-Feb 2025 at IIT
Delhi.
Since its inception in 2018, FTC has been a global platform for students, researchers, academics, industry
leaders, and government representatives to share cutting-edge developments in the emerging field of Functional
Textiles and Clothing.
Through the introduction of FTC Excellence Awards, we strive to recognise and honour the stalwarts of the Textile and Clothing industry and Academia, who have demonstrated remarkable innovation and leadership skills in advancing the field of Functional Textiles and Clothing.
Through the introduction of FTC Excellence Awards, we strive to recognise and honour the stalwarts of the Textile and Clothing industry and Academia, who have demonstrated remarkable innovation and leadership skills in advancing the field of Functional Textiles and Clothing.
Call for Nominations:
Do you know anyone who is pushing the boundaries of Functional Textiles and Clothing sector in India or abroad or has been a lifelong innovator or is a young entrepreneur making waves? Nominate them for any of the following Excellence Award categories:1. Lifetime Achievement
Eligibility: Open to individuals from academia, research organizations, and industry.This award recognizes individuals who have made a profound and enduring contribution to the field of functional textiles and clothing. Nominees should have demonstrated at least 25 years of sustained impact across research, innovation, and practice. Their work should have fundamentally shaped the direction of the industry, introduced transformative technologies, or significantly influenced academic research or commercial applications.
2. Leadership in Research
Eligibility: Open to individuals from academia and research organizations.This award celebrates exceptional leadership in the advancement of research in functional textiles and clothing. Nominees should be senior-career researchers who have demonstrated an outstanding ability to lead teams, secure major research funding, and deliver groundbreaking studies that significantly enhance the understanding or application of functional textiles. Contributions may include high-impact publications, innovative research methodologies, or the development of new materials or technologies. Nominees should have a minimum of 15 years of experience in this field and demonstrated ability to actively mentor the next generation of researchers.
3. Industrial Impact
Eligibility: Open to individuals or organizations from industry.This award recognizes those in the industry who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and made significant contributions to the commercialization and practical applications of functional textiles. Nominees should have developed innovative products, materials, or technologies that have successfully entered the market and impacted consumers, industry practices, or broader society. The ideal candidate will have influenced industry standards, improved manufacturing processes, or driven sustainability and ethical practices. Leadership in fostering collaborations between academia and industry is also considered a key merit for this award.
4. Emerging Innovator
Eligibility: Open to individuals from industry and designersThis award honors emerging talent—whether innovators or designers—who have shown exceptional promise and demonstrated creativity, innovation, and leadership in the field of functional textiles or clothing. Nominees should have developed novel products, technologies, or design approaches that represent significant breakthroughs, whether through enhanced functionality, aesthetics, or sustainability. Recipients may have already launched products or concepts that have garnered attention within the industry, but their work should hold the potential for further transformative impact in the coming years.
Submit your nominations now! Self nominations are also welcome.
Nomination Deadline: 15th December, 2024
Nomination Link: https://forms.gle/h38f9ujRfL7XGWULA
FTC TRAILBLAZERS
We are thrilled to announce that FTC2025 will be hosting for the first time an exciting fireside chat featuring
alumni from IIT Delhi, who are today leading highly successful textile or apparel companies. Each of these
visionary entrepreneurs have created or transformed their companies into leaders in their chosen domain.
Ashish Kansal – CEO of SMPP Industries, Delhi specializing in bullet-proof vests, body armour and defense-related clothing.
Ankur Kothari – CEO of Kusumgar, Mumbai, leading one of India's largest manufacturers of technical textiles for military, automotive, health & outdoor applications.
Kapil Dev Singh – Founder of MISHMI TAKIN International, Florida, USA, pioneering extreme cold and wet weather clothing
Sankar K – Founder of Shree Renga Polyester, Karur, manufacturing recycled polyester fibre from post consumer PET bottles as also rPET based garments.
Ashish Kansal – CEO of SMPP Industries, Delhi specializing in bullet-proof vests, body armour and defense-related clothing.
Ankur Kothari – CEO of Kusumgar, Mumbai, leading one of India's largest manufacturers of technical textiles for military, automotive, health & outdoor applications.
Kapil Dev Singh – Founder of MISHMI TAKIN International, Florida, USA, pioneering extreme cold and wet weather clothing
Sankar K – Founder of Shree Renga Polyester, Karur, manufacturing recycled polyester fibre from post consumer PET bottles as also rPET based garments.
The panel provides a unique opportunity to the young students and researchers to gain first hand insights into
the journeys of these successful entrepreneurs, the challenges and opportunities they faced, and their vision
for the future of apparel and textiles. The panel is scheduled for 2nd February. Stay tuned for more details on
the timings for this enlightening discussion!