AI in Textiles: A stitch for the future
With the advent of AI, the world is gearing up for a phenomenal change. From self-servicing vehicles to AI-generated hologram news readers, no corner of human life is untouched by new-age technology, and Textiles are no exception. Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India’, combined with the call for a ‘Viksit Bharat’, the textile industry has taken up the mantle to not only contribute to this mission but also spearhead it by embracing new technology.
Two such current initiatives on these lines are the establishment of the Kasturi Cotton Brand by the Ministry of Textiles and the VisioNxt program of the National Institute of Fashion Technology supported by the Ministry of Textiles, both unique and pathbreaking initiatives that have put AI to use of betterment of both Indian textile industry and the consumers.
Kasturi Cotton
A premier initiative by the Ministry of Textiles that seeks to promote the highest quality of Indian Cotton as a global brand draws its inspiration from the 5F Vision: Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion – Foreign – this initiative uses the most secure blockchain technology to provide a unique identity to cotton producers in India. With the help of QR codes, Kasturi Cotton offers the consumer end-to-end traceability and certification that ensures superior quality. It is not only beneficial for the industry but also for the cotton farmers since they are offered the right recognition and price for producing this ‘white gold’. Kasturi Cotton is also a step forward to help bring global recognition to the cotton produced in India – the country that is one of the world’s largest cotton producer. By making Kasturi Cotton a synonym of Made in India Cotton, the Ministry has ensured that high-quality cotton products made from Indian cotton are recognised easily and no false identification takes place. It has the potential to open new markets for Indian products on a global level since good products can market themselves wherever they go. All thanks to new tech.
VisioNxt
VisioNxt is a trend and insight Forecasting Lab set up at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) with funding from the Ministry of Textiles – Research and Development Scheme for the program. Situated in Chennai and New Delhi, VisioNxt is entrusted with the responsibility of preparing geo-specific fashion insights reports to enable the Indian Textile, fashion and retail industry to create targeted products for Indian consumers. These reports are of great importance to the industry to understand the needs of the consumers in a vast and diverse country like India. India is one of the youngest countries in the world with more than 62% of the population in the working age group 15-59 years and more than 54% of the total population below 25 years of age.* This young demographic is impacting the lifestyle, mindset and fashion landscape of India and needs to be mapped to derive insights from emerging cohorts. This diversity also makes India a unique subject to research and understand in the context of fashion consumption and human expression.
VisioNxt studies this distinct plurality, diversity, and complexity, and converts it into meaningful insights that can be employed to derive industry-specific strategies to harness the soft power of fashion.
Core Data is harnessed at the ‘Insight Lab’ in Chennai where creative expression through trends and styles, colours and regional accents are developed in Delhi at the ‘Creative Lab’. Both these core labs are connected across the nation through a systematic human network that is further aided by a ‘VisioNxt App’, developed in-house to ensure data security and accessibility following all ethical guidelines.
Further, the labs are uniquely positioned to execute their projects across the network of 18 campuses of NIFT spread PAN-India. The in-house expertise and robust alumni network span the entire landscape of the fashion industry in this country across clothing, textiles, lifestyle, and retail.
By amalgamation of these factors and mindful deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Emotional Intelligence (EI), VisioNxt has successfully designed an indigenous trend forecasting system called ‘Deep Vision’, – a testimony to Atmanirbhar Bharat.
The Bharat Tex 2024 Mega Expo slated to be held from 26-29 February in New Delhi will be the platform where new advancements such as Kasturi Cotton and VisioNxt will be showcased to the world. Besides showcasing how the Indian Textile Industry is embracing AI, this will also help ignite new ideas and debates on how the new and emerging technologies can adapt to make traditional industries like textiles future-ready.