SIMA is celebrating its Platinum Jubilee at 10.30 a.m., on 22^nd August 2009 at SITRA Auditorium, South India Textile Research Association, Coimbatore.

In a press release issued on 17^th August 2009, Dr K V Srinivasan, Chairman of the Association has informed that the Hon’ble Union Minister of Textiles, Thiru. Dayanidhi Maran will inaugurate the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations and unveil the SIMA-PSG Textile Technical Training Institute plaque during the function.  He has said that the other dignitaries participating in the Platinum Jubilee celebrations will be Tmt. Panabaka Lakshmi, Hon’ble Union Minster of State for Textiles, Thiru Pongalur N Palanisamy, Hon’ble Minister for Rural Industries, Government of Tamil Nadu and Thiru K K S S R Ramachandran, Hon’ble Minister for Handlooms & Textiles, Government of Tamil Nadu.  Mr Venu Srinivasan, President, Confederation of Indian Industry would deliver the key note address.  Dr Srinivasan has said that the Managing Directors of all textile mills and all the stake holders including the government officials will be participating in the function.

Dr Srinivasan has stated that the Association established in 1933 at Coimbatore by late Sir R K Shanmugam Chettiar, the first Finance Minister of independent India to espouse the cause of the textile industry and its development in South India with eleven members, today has over 370 members covering all the major textile mills in South India apart from having many leading textile mills situated in the North under its fold due to its unique services.  He has further said that SIMA is the single largest employers’ organisation representing the organised textile industry in the country and the only employers’ organisation of the textile industry having in-house expertise to advice right from designing the textile project to marketing.  SIMA Chairman has informed that some of the unique services offered by the Association to the textile industry are industrial engineering, industrial relations and human resource development which have largely benefited the textile industry to become competitive in the liberalised economy.

Dr Srinivasan has stated that the Chairmanship of SIMA was held by visionaries of textile industry like Dewan Bagadur C.S. Rathnasabapathy Mudaliar, Shri G K Devarajalu, Shri G K Sundaram and has been playing a key role in developing the textile industry in the country.   He has further said that being a leading proactive player, SIMA has earned goodwill among the various government departments and influenced policy making.  He has added that SIMA is given representation in all the policy making committees of Central and State Government Departments and various other statutory bodies.

Dr Srinivasan has said that the Platinum Jubilee Commemoration activities of the Association will focus on skill development and enhance the competency of human resources employed in the textile industry and ensure higher productivity, good industrial relations, improved quality, reduced cost of production, etc., which are the mantras for the survival in the globalised scenario.  He has said that the SIMA-PSG Textile Technical Training Institute jointly promoted by PSG Institutions, Coimbatore, a premier and top brand educational institutions in the country would initially focus on offering two years certificate courses initially under Industrial School pattern and later under ITI pattern on getting the courses approved by the NCVT.  He has further said the Institute will be converted into a centre of excellence soon and offer all kinds courses and training programmes tailor made to all the sectors of the textile industry and focus on developing the shop floor technicians particularly for maintaining the highly sophisticated technology textile machinery, electrical and electronic components, instruments, etc.  M/s Lakshmi Machine Works Limited, Coimbatore have kindly agreed to donate the entire range of spinning machinery with State-of-the-art technology for the Technical Training Institute.  SIMA Chairman has said that the Institute will initially offer two years certificate programmes for spinning and weaving fitters and textile mechatronics apart from offering short and medium textile machinery maintenance programmes.

Dr Srinivasan has stated that one another commemoration activity being planned by the Association is setting up of SIMA Textile Institute of Distance Education (STIDE).  He has said that the Institute would initially offer two year programmes in Post Diploma/Graduate in Industrial Engineering and Post Graduate Diploma in Personnel and Industrial Relations with specialised applications in the textile industry.  He has further said that the Institute would also offer certificate programmes in different functional areas like production management in spinning mills, worker training, quality control studies in spinning mills, scientific assessment of work norms in spinning mills, etc., aiming at enhancing the skills of diploma/degree students studying textile technology and also the working executives to enable them to meet the industry requirements. 

SIMA Chief has informed that the Association has recently started transforming by spreading its activities and also trying to reach the mills individually so that it can provide need based and proactive services to the member mills and all the stake holders of the textile industry.  He has said that the Association has already formed nine sub-committees covering all the textile clusters in South India and also formed a committee for the young directors so that they could be groomed and prepared to manage the future challenges in the globalised environment.  Dr Srinivasan has further said that the Association would reorient and restructure itself to remain relevant and give right direction to the industry and do liaison effectively with the Government.

SIMA Platinum Jubilee Invitations have been sent to Managing Directors of all member mills and the same can be downloaded here.

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