Dear Sir/Madam,

The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) is planning to organise a delegation of Indian textile industry representatives to ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026, scheduled to be held from 20–24 November 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC), Shanghai, China.

CITI proposes to invite senior representatives of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India to join the delegation, with the objective of facilitating meaningful industry–Government dialogue on emerging technologies, technical textiles, automation, digitalisation and the evolving technology requirements of the Indian textile industry.

Objective of the Delegation

The primary objective of the delegation is to assess emerging textile technologies and machinery solutions for strengthening India’s technical textile capabilities, while also exploring automation, digitalisation and smart manufacturing solutions for the wider textile value chain.

The delegation will particularly focus on:

• Technologies and machinery relevant to the technical textile value chain;
• Advanced materials, high-performance fibres, composites and nonwovens;
• Automation, robotics, artificial intelligence and intelligent manufacturing solutions;
• Digitalisation and Industry 4.0 technologies for improving productivity, quality and operational efficiency;
• Energy- and resource-efficient manufacturing technologies;
• Textile recycling, circularity and sustainable manufacturing solutions;
• Technologies supporting the competitiveness, modernisation and global integration of Indian textile manufacturing; and
• Interaction with leading international technology and machinery providers.

Proposed Itinerary

19 November 2026 – Arrival in Shanghai

• Arrival of delegation members in Shanghai.
• Check-in at the designated hotel.
• Delegation briefing, as appropriate.

20 November 2026 – Opening Day | ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026

First Half

• Participation in the opening ceremony and inaugural activities of ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026.

Second Half

A focused and guided tour of ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026 will be organised, covering areas of particular relevance to Indian textile industry participants, including:

• Technical textiles and advanced textile applications;
• Nonwovens and composites;
• Man-made and high-performance fibres;
• Textile recycling and circular technologies;
• Automation, robotics and intelligent manufacturing;
• Digitalisation, AI and smart manufacturing;
• Energy- and resource-efficient technologies; and
• Other machinery, technologies and solutions relevant to Indian textile manufacturing.

The guided visit may be supplemented by pre-arranged meetings with selected exhibitors and technology providers based on the interests of participating members.

21–23 November 2026 – Technology & Industry Engagement

The delegation will facilitate structured interactions with selected leading technology and machinery providers, involving interested CITI members and senior representatives of the Ministry of Textiles.

The objective will be to provide delegation members with a focused overview of relevant technologies, innovations and potential applications in India, rather than limiting the visit to a general exhibition tour.

Subject to feasibility and arrangements with the ITMA ASIA + CITME team, visits to selected textile manufacturing and technology facilities may also be explored.

24 November 2026 – Departure

• Departure of delegation members from Shanghai.

Delegation Participation Fee

The proposed participation fee for the CITI Delegation is as follows:

• CITI Members:No Fee
• Non-Members:INR 30,000 per participant

The participation fee will cover the participant’s association with the CITI Delegation programme, including coordinated exhibition visits, delegation-level interactions and meetings with selected technology and machinery providers, as per the final programme.

All logistical expenses, including international and domestic air travel, visa fees, accommodation, local transportation, meals and other incidental/personal expenses, will be borne separately by the respective participants.

Further details regarding the programme, participation arrangements and logistical options will be communicated to interested participants.

Invitation to Members

CITI particularly invites its member companies and industry representatives to join the proposed delegation.

Participation as a coordinated industry delegation, together with the proposed participation of senior representatives of the Ministry of Textiles, will provide an opportunity to collectively assess emerging technologies and understand their potential relevance to India’s technical textile capabilities, manufacturing competitiveness and adoption of automation and smart manufacturing across the textile value chain.

Members interested in joining the delegation are requested to communicate their interest to CITI by 9th October 2026, enabling CITI to work out the detailed programme and arrangements, including:

• Delegation itinerary;
• Hotel and travel arrangements;
• Guided exhibition visits;
• Meetings with selected technology and machinery providers; and
• Possible industry/facility visits.

We look forward to the active participation of our members in the CITI Delegation to ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026 and to making the delegation a focused platform for technology assessment, industry–Government engagement and international technology partnerships.

With warm regards,

Yours faithfully,

Chandrima Chatterjee

Secretary General