The seeds for this first ever co-operative research institute to be established by any industry in India were sown just three months after India won its independence in August 1947. Led by the legendary Sheth Kasturbhai Labhai, the textile mill owners steeped in the Mahajan tradition had the vision and the foresight to reap the advantages of “application of scientific methods” in their industry. Young Dr. Vikram Sarabhai had just started an institute for research in astro-physics – the Physical Research Laboratory - in Ahmedabad. Under his leadership, ATIRA started functioning is 1949 and moved into its large premises on 22 hectares of land in 1954. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated the building, indicating the importance the Government of India gave to such ventures in research and development.

This premier institute has a series of firsts in India to its credit, some of which are firsts also on the world scene: application of statistics and industrial psychology in industry during 1950s, measurement of productivity of machines and men in 1960s, understanding basic phenomena in spinning and weaving machines and in mill engineering during 1960-80, development of training programmes given with guarantee of ‘return on investment’ in 1970-90, emphasis on patents (over 120 ) and their industrial use (over 80) through licensing, successful developments in ginning equipments in the 1990s. After full integration of Indian economy with world markets in 2005 and after the Government of India decided to gradually eliminate funding over a 10 year period, the role of ATIRA vis-à-vis the industry is being re-defined.

ATIRA also was the first cooperative research institute to enter the textile policy and management field in late 1970s and to anlayse the relationship of profitability of textile mills with relevant factors based on industry data. A multidisciplinary team of 9 persons from 5 divisions of ATIRA developed CAPP - Comprehensive Analysis of Profit Performance - around 1985. This methodology was tested extensively and was modified in the light of consultation experience. Thus, CAPP became an useful tool for mill managements to achieve their short term profit goals and to plan their long term strategy for increasing profitability.

For more information visit: www.atira-rnd-tex.org