India, United States Collaborating on International Textile Conference
September 10, 2025 An opportunity to boost textile trade between the United States and India is on the horizon. Renewed optimism for positive collaboration in the political and trade arenas is emerging.
Two major international professional bodies in the textiles sector in India and the United States – the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) and The Textile Association – South India Unit – are collaborating to organize a major international conference in Coimbatore, India on Nov. 21-22, 2025, that will focus on the opportunities and challenges in technical and trade aspects.
Conference topics include cotton, development in synthetics, trade opportunities, new developments across the supply chain, and marketing opportunities. The host city, Coimbatore, is in proximity to major textile manufacturing regions such as Tiruppur, Erode, and Karur.
The ongoing tariff tensions between the two nations have received international attention, and it is hoped that a win-win trade deal will be accomplished soon. Recent social media postings by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi express the positive sentiments between the two leaders and the need to negotiate a win-win bilateral trade agreement soon. This is a major development and will lead to renewed cooperation between the nations, boosting goodwill, trade, and cooperation.
As the U.S. and India are negotiating their new agreement, it is important for stakeholders to engage in a positive way to create opportunities.
The textiles sector occupies a leading position in export trade from India. The textile industry provides jobs in a large scale in India in organized and unorganized sectors. The Indian government is supporting this sector as it is a critical component in the growth equation for India. It is vital that good cooperation exists between nations as well as stakeholders in the textiles sector.
It is hoped that a trade agreement will be reached soon between the United States and India well before the conference. It is a welcoming feature to have an international gathering focusing on the entire world being coordinated as a collaborative event between the two nations. Such an effort shows that stakeholders are keen to strengthen cooperation and friendship between global nations.
Gregg Woodcock, Executive Director of AATCC, and John Crocker of SDL Atlas will be participating in the event from the United States.
“AATCC is proud to partner with The Textile Association (India) – South India Unit in support of the international conference in Coimbatore,” says Woodcock. “We look forward to sharing with the Indian textile industry the benefits of AATCC membership and ways that AATCC can assist individual members and member companies with standards development, testing materials, educational resources, and more, in the pursuit of sustainable textile manufacturing.”
AATCC members include global brands and major manufacturers like Under Armour, Nike, and Patagonia.
“We are pleased that TAI-South India Unit is providing an international platform for stakeholders across the textile value chain to reengage in positive collaborations to grow the industry and trade,” notes K. Gandhiraj, Vice Chairman of TAI-Central Office.
“After times of uncertainty, there is an immediate need to rebuild confidence in the industry and create new opportunities in textile trade,” adds R. Seenivasahan, Vice President of TAI-SIU.
The conference organizers are hoping that major associations in the field of cotton, synthetics, and leading R&D organizations will participate.
When a new trade deal is reached between the United States and India, the AATCC-TAI (SIU) organized event is the first of its kind to bring stakeholders to a vibrant textile region in the world for growing the business and exchange ideas. The conference will set a global stage for strengthening friendships and growth opportunities in textiles. Global participants from Europe and elsewhere will be able to see firsthand the textile activities in India and interact with industry partners.
Such a global platform is needed to rebuild confidence and engage with India, which is a major global textile manufacturing hub. Entrepreneurs, industry, and academia should use this timely opportunity to engage and enable renewed trade and discuss challenges and opportunities.
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