A new and innovative green technology has been developed by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar – air nano bubble – which can, reportedly, reduce water usage in the textile industry by up to 90 per cent.
In a statement, the leading institute said that the technology is based on nano bubbles of air and ozone. The bubbles are hydrophobic in nature, and therefore, interact better than water with the fabric and distribute chemicals and dyes in the fabric much more efficiently than just water.
This technology was developed by Neelkanth Nirmalkar, Assistant Professor at the chemical engineering department of IIT, Ropar. As per Neelkanth, the laboratory reports suggest that the air nano bubble dispersed in water can reduce the water consumption and chemical dosage by 90-95 per cent which ultimately saves 90 per cent of the energy consumption as well.
The bubbles are of a size equivalent to 1/10000th times of a human hair. Ozone nano bubbles efficiently remove extra dye during fabric wash and degrade the dye in the water, he added.
Besides saving water consumption, the water processed with a nano bubble machine can be reused. Nano bubble serves as a carrier for the processing chemical and reduce the extra chemical required, he said.
He also claimed that the treatment of garments through this patented technology helps in maintaining their real colour for outdoor usage. It helps in obtaining 2D effects, easy care, water repelling and softening of fabric, he added.
Rajeev Ahuja, Director, IIT Ropar said that at IIT Ropar, we are inventing and incorporating new-age processing methods to conserve water for future generations.
It is worth mentioning here that IIT Ropar has developed this eco-friendly technology under a start-up named NanoKriti Pvt Limited, which is also working towards cleaning the environment and is expanding to develop new applications, ranging from water treatment to healthcare.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
