In a remarkable union of innovation and global expertise, the world’s largest fibre innovation congress, the Dornbirn Global Fibre Conference (GFC) Asia, was successfully held in Mumbai on November 18, 2025. This prestigious event was hosted under the banner of the Techtextil India Symposium 2025.

Under the theme ‘Shaping the Future: Sustainable Growth in Fibre Solutions and Innovations’, the event was a dynamic confluence of ideas, research breakthroughs and collaborative exchanges aimed at propelling the textile industry into a new era of responsible growth. The conference was supported by the Government of Tamil Nadu as a Partner State.

The day-long conference included the latest research on sustainable fibres, innovations in eco-friendly manufacturing, breakthroughs in recycling & circular economy practices and the evolution of smart technical textiles. Discussions also addressed global fibre market shifts, policy frameworks shaping the industry and strategies for integrating sustainability into business models. These topics reflect the most pressing imperatives and emerging opportunities for manufacturers, designers, technologists and policymakers alike.

The Dornbirn Global Fibre Conference is a collaboration between organisers, Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt Ltd and Austrian Fibers Institute. It cements India’s position as a powerhouse in textile innovation, sustainability and fibre technology. Set against the backdrop of India’s ambition to elevate its textile and apparel exports to USD 100 billion by 2030, the Dornbirn Global Fibre Conference Asia proved to be a seminal platform for industry visionaries to share pioneering discoveries and collaborate on building a greener, smarter, and more resilient textiles future.

Here are some key excerpts of the dignitaries who spoke during the conference:

Chief Guest - Hon’ble Ms V Amuthavalli, IAS, Secretary – Handlooms, Handicrafts, Textiles and Khadi, Department of Textiles, Government of Tamil Nadu expressed: “Tamil Nadu has already established itself in natural fibres (cotton) but we feel that industries shall diversify more into man-made fibres as well. Being a Partner State to the Dornbirn GFC Asia, we are looking towards exchanging knowledge and building Tamil Nadu’s technical textiles industry as well.”

Guest of Honour, Uday Paul Singh Gill, Senior Partner, Gherzi Consulting, sharing his views explained: “I am happy that Dornbirn GFC Asia is here and this will benefit the Indian industry to learn about the new trends and innovations in Europe. I believe that there is a huge potential in the Indian industry with diverse applications in baby diapers, automotive airbags, hygiene and more. Globally, circularity, sustainability and AI will impact industry.”

Bhadresh Dodhia, Director- International Trade & Finance, Dodhia Group & Co-Chairman- Bharat Tex Committee 2025, in his Keynote address stated: “Dornbirn GFC Asia is regarded as the platform for fibre innovation. The conference is attended by stakeholders who try and discover new developments in the industry. As India is becoming an epicentre of man-made fibre and the circular supply chain into yarn. In India, textile-to-textile recycling is below 1%. This is not a gap but a big opportunity to harness this huge pile of waste that has the potential to be the raw material.”

Elaborating on Regenerative Innovation- Engine for Sustainable Transformation, Murugan Thenkondar, President – Marketing & Global Head – Business Development, Aditya Birla – Grasim Industries Limited – Birla Cellulose, expressed: “This is a good platform for India as it will bring a lot of outside perspective in India, improving more interaction in future. The mega trend in India is its growing population, accompanied by increasing per capita income. I would recommend that people visit here as this will help them understand each other better and take the industry to its full potential.”

Raj Manek, Executive Director and Board Member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd, stated: “We felt happy to welcome the industry to this highly insightful and knowledge-driven platform of the Dornbirn Conference Asia, making its debut in India. This event is a valuable addition to our Texpertise Network, which connects over 500,000 textile professionals worldwide. Dornbirn GFC Asia discussed advanced technologies and innovative processes to guide the industry towards greater sustainability, enhance India’s export potential and position the country as a global hub for technical textiles. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the Austrian Fibers Institute for their collaboration and for bringing this international experience to the Indian industry.”

Matthias W Gluth, Managing Director, Austrian Fibers Institute, shared: “With this collaboration, we aim to strengthen Dornbirn GFC’s global presence, engage with new industry sectors and create year-round opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange. With a broader cross-industry perspective, Dornbirn GFC Asia was more dynamic and impactful than ever before. The industry’s ability to embrace change, drive innovation and foster cross-sector collaboration will define its success in 2025 as sustainability and digital transformation are no longer optional. They are essential for maintaining competitiveness. I believe that Dornbirn GFC Asia has helped facilitate these conversations and shape the industry’s direction.”

The conference highlighted key initiatives and industry potential:

• India is leading in converting post-consumer waste than many other developed countries
• India recycles its bottles into yarn and plastic
• India’s EPR for plastic waste could be beneficial for speeding up the recycling of plastic waste into fibres
• Using technology for collection and sorting will make feedstock available for the circular supply chain to work efficiently
• India shows positive signs and a huge the potential to become a recycled polyester hub
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The India edition of the Dornbirn GFC Asia uniquely blended global expertise with India's vibrant textiles sector—a market rapidly advancing in technological innovation, sustainability efforts and export ambitions. The industry’s leading brands who were part of the conference included: Dodhia Group, Lenzing, Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions, Birla Cellulose, Erema Group GmbH, High Performance Textile Ltd, Pan Healthcare Pvt Ltd, TextileGenesis, Bekaert, FibreCoat GmbH and more.

The conference’s alignment with Techtextil India (held 19–21 November 2025) ensured a seamless integration with the broader ecosystem of technical textiles and allied technology innovations.