Prashant Group’s Prakash Shah receives ITAMMA Lifetime Achievement Award

ITAMMA is working very closely with important agencies like TATA, i-hub etc. to help members to face the Global challenges in Technology and Business.

At the ITAMMA Awards 2023-24held at i-Hub Gujarat, Ahmedabad, on February 1, 2025, N D Mhatre, Director General (Tech) in his introductory speech, informed that considering the importance of AI in today’s era of digitalisation, the presentation will be helpful to our members. If we look at this technology as the opportunity rather than challenge it will help us to track the properties and characteristics of the product during its operation from field to foreign, which is the need of the hour considering the textile industry is segmented into decentralised sector and so finding very difficult to keep track on the flow of the product.

The DATA of marketing trends plays a very vital role in planning the strategies for production, products and promotional budget for growing the business and so today’s presentation will be helpful to us.

Knowing the future of Green Energy for the benefit for all of us on this planet whether to survive or grow, Tata Power Solar and ITAMMA Forge Strategic Partnership to Advance Solar Adoption in India’s Textile Sector through an MoU signed between both of them.

ITAMMA, under ‘B K Mehta Technology Networking Mission’ engages Academia, Research & Industry Associations, Government, Stakeholders from Textile Engineering and Manufacturing Industry on one single platform, supporting and highlighting various key innovation in the sector for the development of pilot project initiatives in partnership with the Stakeholders, thus strengthening Make in India to support ATMA Nirbhar Bharat for the development of “Viksit Bharat.” The ‘Letter of Intent’ executed between Gujarat Student Start-up and Innovation Hub (i-Hub) and ITAMMA will encourage and strengthen this mission through new projects/innovations by Start-ups.

Bhavesh Patel,President, ITAMMA welcomed all the dignitaries with bouquet and mentioned that ITAMMA and its members have bagged the opportunity of transforming digitally in order to be with the changing trends Globally, and so ITAMMA also gets encouragement in organising such programs on latest technologies for its members.

Accordingly ITAMMA is working very closely with important agencies like TATA, i-hub etc. to help members to face the Global challenges in Technology and Business.

Prakash Shah, Chairman, Prashant Group of Industries stressed upon importance of ‘People rather than Profit’was felicitated with ‘Life –Time Achievement Award’ by the Roop Rashi, Chief Guest (IA&AS), Textile Commissioner, Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, and all Office Bearers and members of Managing Committee of ITAMMA.

Nimish Sanghvi, Chairman, ITAMMA Gujarat Chapter introduced Mr Prakash Shah, Chairman, Prashant Group, and Prasad group of Industries and PPI Pumps. He is having more than 55 years of experience in the industry.

After finishing his engineering in Mechanical and Electrical branch, he worked in Jyoti Industry. After that he start manufacturing liquid ring vacuum pumps in 1975.

With small start of 4 person, today he has spread his work in the area of 110000 Sq. meter of world class infrastructure with more than 1000 people.

Prashant Group is a leading group of India to provide one stop solution for world class weaving preparatory through various European and U.S. collaborations. Group is enjoying no 1 position in India.

Prasad group is the largest group in India in the field of Plastic Auxilliary equipment with various European collaborations and joint ventures. PPI Pumps is a leading manufacturer of India to make liquid ring vacuum pumps.

Prakash Shah has been honoured with ‘Rajiv Gandhi National Unity Award’ for Outstanding services, achievements and contributions.

He has also been awarded ‘Ama-Atlas Dyechem Outstanding Entrepreneur Of The

Year’ in recognition for unique contributions in introducing technological innovation, indigenous development of technology , converting threats into opportunities leading to expansion and continuous diversification.

He has also been recently awarded by Divya Bhaskar for ‘Bharat Ke Ratna-Gujarat Se’ for his outstanding services as an entrepreneur.

Under his leadership, The textile group- Prashant Gamatex has been awarded with Corp Excel award for the excellence in textile machinery. The award was given to Prakash shah by respected Pranav Mukherjee.

His Philosophy is –“We believe in creativity rather than cost” – “We believe in motivation rather than manufacturing” –“We believe in People rather than profit”

Apart from business, Prakash shah is actively involved in Social work, supporting various activities in the interior district of Gujarat and Bihar, like 4 schools for underprivileged children in Bihar.

The activities involved in Dhrampur district of Gujarat, include residential school, vocational training, bamboo plantations, check dams, subsidised food bank and many other activities for upliftment of tribal people.

He is actively involved in Art of Leaving foundation and working in upliftment of Khadi and Gramodyog and has vision to give employments to women in interior villages of India through cluster development.

Roop Rashi advised to concentrate on ‘Ecology rather than Economics’She added that Sustainability needs to be given due importance to compete in today’s International Market and requested all the members to submit their suggestions and/or problems to her through ITAMMA whereby her office will take efforts in working the solutions on them. Responding to environmental concerns and demand from consumers, textile machinery manufacturers are developing technologies to address sustainability in terms of reducing manufacturing waste, saving in energy and water consumption, and producing yarns and fabrics from recycled and bio based fibers. It should be noted that sustainability and digitisation are highly interrelated.

Kedar Pandya, Director, SME Program of Wadhwani Foundation delivered his presentations on “Importance of Generative AI for SME of Indian Textile Engineering Industry stating that three in four organisations are currently seeing ROI from their Gen AI Investment. 86 per cent of organisations using Gen AI in production and seeing revenue growth estimate 6 per cent or more gains, to overall annual company revenue. 84 per cent of organisations successfully transform a Gen AI use case idea into production within six months. Once in production, organisations report an increase in annual revenue directly attributed to Gen AI in 12 or more months.

J M Balaji, Vice President, Lakshmi Ring Travellers (Coimbatore), Coimbatore delivered his presentations on “Marketing of Textile Machines and Components -it’s present trend and expected in future”

Some highlights- Key Happenings in 2024

Trend reversal: Signs of recovery

• The textile and apparel market is beginning to recover following the challenges of 2023.
• Improving consumer sentiment, a gradual resurgence in demand for casual & at leisure wear and easing supply chain disruptions were the key drivers of this change.
• While the recovery remains cautious, it signals a potential positive trajectory for the industry

Om Prakash Mantry,Vice-President, ITAMMA, in his Vote of Thanks after thanking all, mentioned that ITAMMA through its cluster development activities is already taking efforts in updating, skilling and supporting its members about latest technologies and businesses by roping in various MoU Partners and Industry Experts. We are also making them ready for the challenges expected in this digital era of AI.