Bridging the Divide

Divya S March 26, 2026 12:08 pm

Can academia and industry align to fix textiles’ talent gap? Divya Shetty examines perspectives from both sides and explores how stronger collaboration between these key institutions can shape a brighter future for India’s textile sector.

India’s textile industry stands at a pivotal moment. As factories adopt automation, digital monitoring, and advanced materials, the demand for skilled, future-ready engineers has never been higher. Yet, even as this transformation accelerates, a persistent complaint echoes across mills and boardrooms that graduates are not “shop-floor ready.”

At the same time, textile engineering seats in colleges remain under-subscribed, and many young engineers continue to choose IT or other sectors over textiles. The disconnect raises a fundamental question: is academia failing to keep pace with industry, or is the industry itself not doing enough to attract and nurture talent?

Insights from academicians and industry leaders suggest the answer lies somewhere in between.

A skills gap—or a perception problem?

The narrative that textile graduates lack practical exposure is widespread—but not universally accepted in its entirety.

Dr N Gokarneshan, Formerly, Department of Textile Chemistry, SSM College of Engineering, offers a nuanced view, “This statement is only partially true. In this age of fast advancing technology, students do have some kind of exposure to the developments happening. However, a greater awareness needs to be promoted amongst the student and teaching communities.”

He points out that while curriculum updates are taking place, the pace and focus may not always align with industry priorities. “Proper areas of current relevance need to be emphasised. The board of studies should include industrial experts to get their inputs,” he says.

Others are more direct in their assessment. Dr Gurudas Aras, Independent Director and Strategic Advisor, highlights a clear mismatch, “There is a clear gap in what the industry wants and what the institutes offer. Fresh textile graduates lack hands-on skills in modern textile machinery, digital tools, and processes.”

The consensus is not that academia is entirely outdated, but that implementation is uneven, and exposure to real-world industrial environments remains insufficient.

Why textile courses are losing talent

Beyond curriculum concerns, the sector faces a deeper challenge, attracting talent in the first place.

For decades, the rise of the IT sector has reshaped student preferences. As Gokarneshan explains, “The major contributing factor has been the boom of the IT industry over the past 3 decades. The lure of the IT industry prevails even today.”

Compensation plays a crucial role. Aras calls it a talent paradox, noting that “a critical skill gap exists alongside some of the lowest starting salaries for textile engineering graduates.”

Avinash Mayekar, Managing Director, Suvin Expo LLP, acknowledges this reality but offers a counterpoint. “During the fresher stage, the salaries in the textile mills are on the lower side, but the industry can offer knowledge that will carve their future high package salaries,” he says, adding that long-term growth prospects often outweigh initial pay disadvantages.

Still, perception matters. Many students view textiles as a traditional or sunset industry, compounded by concerns around working conditions and long hours. As Sanjay Jain, Managing Director, TT Limited, puts it candidly, “If expectations include air-conditioned environments, textile factories may not always be able to provide that.”

Yet, there are signs that this perception can be reshaped. Prof Ashok Athalye, Faculty and Head of the Department of Fibres and Textile Processing Technology, ICT Mumbai, shares a success story, “Within a year, a student received several opportunities, including training in Vietnam. While salary is one consideration, aspects like responsibility, job satisfaction, and opportunities also play an important role.”

The shop-floor readiness dilemma

If there is one issue that unites all stakeholders, it is the challenge of making graduates industry-ready.

Institutes have introduced internships, industrial visits, and MoUs with companies. But their effectiveness is under scrutiny. “Industrial visits and internships are merely rituals today,” says Gokarneshan. “How far students are able to effectively utilise the remains a big question.”

Aras echoes this concern, pointing out that internships often lack structure. “Some companies offer structured programs; others treat interns as ‘extra hands’,” he notes.

From the industry’s side, expectations can be unrealistic. “Firms often expect ‘ready-made’ talent, but aren’t always willing to invest in upskilling fresh hires,” Aras adds.

Mayekar highlights the reality on the shop floor, “When there is no teacher around, you need to adapt, learn on the go. You simply cannot expect people to guide you.”

The result is a system where graduates are theoretically equipped but practically unprepared—and industries are reluctant to invest the time and resources required to bridge that gap.

A fragile academia–industry link

At the heart of the issue lies a fragile and often superficial relationship between academia and industry.

Gokarneshan points to underutilised collaborations: “Even though institutions enter into MoUs with industries, they are unable to effectively utilise the facilities offered. MoUs are mainly intended for certifications and rankings rather than for the benefit of students.”

Aras describes this as a shift from a “distant relationship” to a more collaborative model—but one that is still evolving. “A ‘producer-consumer’ model alone is insufficient for modern industrial needs,” he says.

There are positive examples. Industry associations like ITAMMA are actively working to bridge the gap. N D Mhatre, Director General (Tech), ITAMMA, explains, “We organise Academia-Industry Experts-Stakeholders campaigns to bring on the surface the talent and the low-cost technologies available with the students.”

Yet, these efforts remain fragmented and limited in scale. The broader ecosystem still lacks a cohesive, outcome-driven collaboration framework.

Future skills VS legacy systems

The urgency of this disconnect becomes clearer when viewed against the backdrop of technological change.

Automation, AI, IoT, and technical textiles are reshaping the industry. But are students being prepared for these roles?

“To an extent these are already happening,” says Gokarneshan, referring to courses in technical textiles. “But this is not enough.”

Aras highlights the complexity of the challenge: “Digital tools are spreading so fast that formal education programs have difficulty keeping up. The current state is characterised more by a skills gap than a clear roadmap.”

Compounding the issue is the industry’s own hesitation. Many companies continue to operate legacy machinery, making it difficult to define and communicate future skill requirements. As Mhatre notes, “We will take still more time to adapt with industry 4.0, as only few factories have adapted until now.”

At the same time, the nature of work itself is changing. Mayekar observes that modern systems—from ERP to smart machinery—are reducing manual intervention. “We need smart people to take care of these smart machines,” he says.

The case for a dual education model

One of the most compelling solutions emerging from the discussion is the adoption of a dual education model, similar to that in Germany, where students split their time between classrooms and factories.

“Yes. It is a dire need today,” says Gokarneshan. However, he points out that regulatory constraints and institutional inertia have prevented its adoption in India.

“Today many institutions have attained autonomous status but sadly no institution has yet implemented this dual system,” he adds.

Mayekar supports a similar approach, advocating for extended industrial training. “A structured industry training period of at least six months… would greatly help students understand real work environments,” he says.

Such a model could address multiple challenges at once—improving practical exposure, aligning curricula with industry needs, and easing the transition from campus to factory floor.

Industry’s own constraints

While academia faces criticism, industry stakeholders acknowledge their own limitations.

Low margins and a fragmented structure restrict the ability to offer competitive salaries. Mhatre explains, “The business profits are restricted thus couldn’t respond into salaries.”

The shift from large composite mills to decentralised MSMEs has also impacted training capacity. “Such training centres have stopped as they are not affordable to the entrepreneurs,” he notes.

At the same time, modernisation is uneven. While some factories have adopted advanced technologies and improved working conditions, many continue to operate with conventional systems.

Nevertheless, there are signs of change. Aras points to a shift toward employee-centric models and tech-enabled roles, “The shift is moving from seeing an engineer as a machine operator to seeing them as a tech manager.”

Making textile careers attractive

Addressing the talent gap will require coordinated action from both academia and industry.

For industry, the priorities are clear:

Competitive compensation
Better working environments
Structured training and apprenticeships
Clear career progression pathways

Aras emphasises the importance of visibility, “While joining, they should be shown the potential career growth path, so that they are motivated.”

For academia, the focus must shift to:

Industry-aligned curricula
Practical learning through case studies and projects
Active involvement of alumni and industry experts
Orientation programs that set realistic expectations

Gokarneshan also highlights the need to encourage entrepreneurship: “The objective should be… to mold them into successful entrepreneurs and thereby create employment opportunities.”

The bigger risk

The stakes extend far beyond education and employment.

India’s ambition to become a global textile manufacturing hub hinges on its ability to build a skilled workforce. If the talent gap persists, the consequences could be significant.

Aras warns that the risk is “critical,” pointing to lower productivity, stalled modernisation, and potential loss of market share. “Countries like Vietnam are already outperforming India largely because they have built more integrated, skill-ready ecosystems,” he notes.

Without intervention, India risks being confined to low-value segments. “It may miss a big global export opportunity in MMF-based products and technical textiles,” Aras adds.

Yet, there is room for optimism. Government initiatives, industry collaborations, and startup ecosystems are beginning to address the gap. Mhatre highlights the role of innovation: “New start-ups are having bright future I foresee that tomorrow the world will be doing mass manufacturing of ‘Made-in-India’ products.”

From blame to collaboration

The textile sector’s talent challenge is not the failure of a single stakeholder. It is the result of systemic misalignment between academia, industry, and evolving market realities.

As Gokarneshan, Aras, Mayekar, Mhatre, Jain, and Athalye collectively suggest, the way forward lies not in assigning blame, but in building deeper, more meaningful collaboration.

The industry does not just need more engineers—it needs engineers who are prepared for a rapidly changing landscape. And that will require academia and industry to move beyond parallel efforts and begin co-creating the future of textile education.

WHAT INDUSTRY WANTS VS WHAT STUDENTS LEARN

Industry expectations

Hands-on experience with modern machinery
Knowledge of automation, AI, IoT
Problem-solving on shop floor
Understanding of real production environments

Academic reality

Strong theoretical foundation
Limited access to latest machinery
Short, often unstructured internships
Minimal exposure to live industrial challenges

WHY STUDENTS AVOID TEXTILE CAREERS

Low starting salaries
Perception of textiles as a “traditional” sector
Long working hours
Challenging shop-floor conditions
Strong pull from IT and other industries

Top 5 Reforms to Bridge the Gap

Adopt dual education models by integrating long-term industrial training into academic curricula.
Strengthen industry collaboration by moving beyond MoUs to outcome-driven partnerships.
Revamp internships to be structured, evaluated, and skill-focused.
Continuously upgrade curricula to include automation, sustainability, and technical textiles.
Improve industry attractiveness through better salaries, working conditions, and career visibility.

Quotes of people

Curriculum updates are happening, but not always in the most relevant areas.
Dr N Gokarneshan (Formerly) Department of Textile Chemistry, SSM College of Engineering

Textiles are still perceived as a ‘sunset industry’ rather than a tech-driven field.
Dr Gurudas Aras, Independent Director and strategic Advisor
The textile industry offers a slower start, but a steeper long-term growth curve.
Avinash Mayekar, Managing Director, Suvin Expo LLP