ACTS can trace the reason for its existence to the joint work that both these premier institutes did together in the 1960s. AMA, under the leadership of Prof. V.L. Mote of Indian Institute of Management – Ahmedabad, initiated an annual Inter-firm Comparison of financial performance of spinning and composite mills in India. After over 12 years of such joint studies, ATIRA carried forward for about 10 more years. In mid 1980s, a multidisciplinary team led by AR Garde developed a system for profitability analysis. This system – called CAPP, Comprehensive Analysis of Profit Performance - was thereafter used for over 10 years to give an annual inter-firm comparison service to spinning mills. CAPP was also used extensively and successfully in over 60 mills to offer management consultancy.

ACTS was conceptualized and established in 1997, when AMA relocated itself in the ATIRA campus. ACTS is an informal forum which can be used by textile organizations and experts for holding textile related events such as lectures, seminars, conferences, training programmes and workshops in association with AMA.

Till now, the activities of ACTS have consisted of holding conferences cum small exhibitions jointly with other organizations in textiles. With the launching of CAPP on-line, ACTS has embarked on its first long term venture. To begin with, this cost effective on-line service is available only to spinning mills on cotton system of machinery. Thanks to the versatility of the CAPP concept, the scope of this service can be widened in future to cover other sectors of the textile industry such as weaving, knitting and chemical processing units.

Coordinator for ACTS since its inception is Ashok Garde, former Director of ATIRA. He is also the leader of the expert group that has refined the original CAPP system and developed the on-line system for giving CAPP service to the textile industry the world over at low costs.

Ashok R. Garde: After a degree in textiles from the Bombay University, Ashok Garde has been in textile R&D from 1957 to 1997 at ATIRA. He has research experience of 18 years, and consultation and training experience of over 17 years. He was the prime developer of the productivity measurement system and of the CAPP at ATIRA. He has over 260 publications and has co-authored/contributed to 12 books on textiles. He was selected as Director (CEO) of ATIRA in 1990. AMA has honoured Mr. Garde by bestowing Hon. Membership of AMA for his successful turn-around of ATIRA in 7 years of directorship, and for his help in setting up AMA in the ATIRA premises. He works in honorary capacity for the Textile Association (India) and for AMA. He has written a book each on management and on ethics, published by Jaico and ICFAI University Press: Chanakya on Management,2006 and Theory and Practice of Ethics and Morals,2010

Vidyadhar Randive: With a Masters Degree in Statistics, he has specialised in Operations Research. He was groomed by ATIRA in textile technology and management for placement in member mills to establish and to head OR. During his 11 year stint at the Mafatlal Industries beginning 1966, he introduced in textiles the then new concepts of project management for establishing new units, and of inventory control. His management career started form Mafatlal Industries, got fostered in Indonesia with the Aditya Birla Group, and after 2-3 more stints at major textile mills, ended in 2006 after 11 years at Indocount Industries Ltd. as Chief Operating Officer. At Mafatlals, in Indonesia and at Indocount, he was involved in setting up new units and then running them efficiently.

Bhagyesh M. Joshi: A graduate computer engineer by qualification, Bhagyesh got early recognition for his curiosity in science and technology. Just entering his teen, he was awarded a fellowship by ISRO -Indian space research Organisation, Bangalore -for his interest in space science and energy conservation. During his engineering studies, 14 different small projects that he undertook have been found so usable that his almamatter continues to use them even today, after 2-3 years. He was recognised as a champion at a national symposium on development of software projects when he was in his final semester of B.E. (CS). As a part of his acdemic training, he worked at IBM, New Delhi. While working in a software company for programme development, he is preparing himself to become a Project manager in IT. At just 22 years of age, he represents the young Indians from small towns who are on the move, welcoming new entrepreneurial challenges in different fields.