NITRA and NBRI Collaborate on Eco-Friendly Textile Fibre

17 Apr 2025 CW Team

The Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA), Ghaziabad, has signed an MoU with the CSIR–National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow, to explore milkweed (Asclepias) as a sustainable natural fibre for textiles. The collaboration supports India’s push for eco-friendly innovation in the textile sector.

The MoU was announced in the presence of Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh, who reiterated the government’s commitment to promoting indigenous and environmentally responsible alternatives, Apparel Resources India reported.

The joint study will focus on genomic analysis of the plant to understand its fibre structure and explore its use as a substitute for synthetic materials.

Milkweed is known for being lightweight, biodegradable, and thermally insulating—making it a promising option for applications in home furnishings, technical textiles, and insulation. However, it hasn’t yet been widely adopted in large-scale manufacturing.

The NITRA-NBRI partnership aims to improve fibre yield, develop sustainable harvesting practices, and explore commercially viable uses. Both institutions believe the project could help build an alternative raw material base for the Indian textile industry.

The initiative is also being seen as a step toward Aatmanirbhar Bharat, reducing reliance on imported synthetics and promoting domestic innovation. It’s expected to boost environmental sustainability and economic resilience in textile production.

Infrastructure Urban

05 Nov 2025

TBO Tek Q2 Profit Climbs 12%, Revenue Surges 26% YoY

TBO Tek Limited one of the world’s largest travel distribution platforms, reported a solid performance for Q2 FY26 with a 26 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue to Rs 5.68 billion, reflecting broad-based growth and improving profitability.The company recorded a Gross Transaction Value (GTV) of Rs 8,901 crore, up 12 per cent YoY, driven by strong performance across Europe, MEA, and APAC regions. Adjusted EBITDA before acquisition-related costs stood at Rs 1.04 billion, up 16 per cent YoY, translating into an 18.32 per cent margin compared to 16.56 per cent in Q1 FY26. Profit after tax r..

Northern Graphite, Rain Carbon Secure R&D Grant for Greener Battery Materials

Northern Graphite Corporation and Rain Carbon Canada Inc, a subsidiary of Rain Carbon Inc, have jointly received up to C$860,000 (€530,000) in funding under the Canada–Germany Collaborative Industrial Research and Development Programme to develop sustainable battery anode materials.The two-year, C$2.2 million project aims to transform natural graphite processing by-products into high-performance, battery-grade anode material (BAM). Supported by the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Programme (NRC IRAP) and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs a..

Antony Waste Q2 Revenue Jumps 16%; Subsidiary Wins Rs 3,200 Cr WtE Projects

Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited (AWHCL), a leading player in India’s municipal solid waste management sector, announced a 16 per cent year-on-year increase in total operating revenue to Rs 2.33 billion for Q2 FY26. The growth was driven by higher waste volumes, escalated contracts, and strong operational execution.EBITDA rose 18 per cent to Rs 570 million, with margins steady at 21.6 per cent, while profit after tax stood at Rs 173 million, up 13 per cent YoY. Revenue from Municipal Solid Waste Collection and Transportation (MSW C&T) reached Rs 1.605 billion, and MSW Processing re..