With India’s technical textiles market projected to reach US $ 24.25 billion by 2026, the focus is increasingly shifting towards innovation, advanced materials and next-generation manufacturing that will shape the future of the industry.
Against this backdrop, IIT Delhi, in association with World University of Design, has announced the 5th International Conference on Functional Textiles & Clothing (FTC 2027), to be held from February 5 to 7, 2027 in New Delhi. The conference will bring together researchers, academicians, designers, industry leaders and policymakers from across the world to discuss new technologies, innovations and applications in textiles and apparel.
The conference will feature discussions on smart and intelligent textiles, including wearable technologies, e-textiles, AI-enabled garments, IoT-connected apparel and soft robotics. Other sessions will examine the growing use of functional textiles in healthcare, wellness and sports, covering medical textiles, therapeutic clothing, biometric monitoring, elderly care wearables and performance apparel.
A major focus will also be on protective and defence textiles, climate-responsive clothing and textiles designed for industrial safety and emergency applications. Sustainability will remain another key theme, with sessions on circular textiles, recycling, bio-based fibres, waste valorisation, low-impact processing, lifecycle assessment and strategies to reduce carbon, water and chemical footprints across the value chain.
The conference will also explore developments in advanced fibres and materials, nanotechnology, functional finishes, membranes and surface engineering, alongside the growing role of AI, digital twins, blockchain, virtual prototyping, AR/VR, smart factories and automation in textile and apparel manufacturing.
Other technical sessions will cover innovation in spinning, weaving, knitting and nonwovens, textile machinery, technical textiles for automotive, agriculture, geotextiles and industrial applications, supply chain management, traceability, textile quality management and advances in dyeing, printing and finishing technologies.
One can visit https://ftcconference.in/index.html for more details.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
