Dr. Neha Mehra on Bridging the Gap from Classroom to Industry in Textile Engineering

Ep. 9 - Dr. Neha Mehra

[00:00:00] Dr. Neha Mehra: We go to, plants or we go to companies, for a week, for two weeks, or if they have a specialized training program, which they can do for us so that when we are teaching a subject, unless we know what is the latest technology development, we won't be able to deliver the best. There's a subject on Industry 4.0 specifically, what are the gaps in the industry or what are the changes that are happening in the industry so that our students are prepared and they don't go like, oh, this was never taught to us, so how do I adapt to this change?

[00:00:31] Hello, and welcome to episode nine of spinning values. A podcast by Beekaylon synthetics. This is a show where we talk to innovators and thought leaders in the textiles and manufacturing space.

[00:00:43] In this episode, we catch up with Dr. Neha Mehra from VJTI. Mumbai, one of India's leading educational institutions in textiles and technology. This episode is hosted by Kartik Chaudhri creative director of Inscape media.

[00:00:59] Kartik Chaudhary: [00:01:00] So, welcome all the listeners. Welcome to spinning Values, a podcast by Beekaylon. We've been getting some encouraging response. So here we are with a very new episode. Today we have a very special guest. Today's guest is Dr. Neha Mehra. Who's the HOD in Department of Textile Engineering at VGTI, which is one of the most reputed college universities in Bombay.

[00:01:25] Kartik Chaudhary: And my first exposure to VGTI was actually when I learned about some intern people who are just carried off an internship at Beekaylon synthetics, and we got a chance to speak to them and do a video with them. And I sort of, that time I had realized, okay, like, there's a lot of enthusiasm regarding the industry and these students really, added value to Beekaylon.

[00:01:48] Kartik Chaudhary: And similarly, I think Beekaylon added the value to these students lives. And while talking to them, I realized why always, because even when we started doing communication, I [00:02:00] also did my. Graduation is in mass communication. And then when, then I went to a film school, and when you actually go on the job it's so much difference.

[00:02:09] Kartik Chaudhary: And, you learn so much on the job. So I'm always curious to know how a curriculum for something as practical and as real as a manufacturing is designed and how the gaps that students probably, face when they move from a college, from a classroom to an actual say a business or a company. So it'll be a great conversation. So stick till the end. So, welcome Dr. Neha. Let's start with just tell us if you can tell our listeners a little bit about you and about this Department of Textile engineering.

[00:02:43] Dr. Neha Mehra: a very small part of it. let me be very, I have done my B Tech in Textile Textile chemistry from, ICT, which is Institute of Chemical Technology. I have later worked with, as well as PhD from ICT. I have then worked with Lady Irwin College, Delhi [00:03:00] University, and now in VJTI. VJTI is a 136-year-old institute. Rather when it started with two components. One was JJ School of Mechanical Engineering, and the other was Ripon School of Textile. So when VJTI started, it started with the textile branch. At that time, we had only diploma in textile. Slowly, as the industry grew and we started doing, B Tech.

[00:03:27] Dr. Neha Mehra: Now, VJTI also offers M Tech as well as PhD. So there are about nine branches in which VJTI has B Tech and many students are aware because, this is the institute which basically is the most preferred institute by Maharashtra students once they miss out IIT or NIT So that's the first choice somewhere, the legacy that it has and serving the industry since, you know, over a century.

[00:03:52] Dr. Neha Mehra: So, that's the basic about VJTI was, started by, of course, the Britishers later on, once, so the name was Victoria [00:04:00] Jubilee Technical Institute. Now it has been converted to Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute, and when the IITs were set up, so VJTI professors were the one who planned the whole, IITs the initial IITs and were made the first directors of the IIT So that's the basic legacy that we have. So we are located in Matunga

[00:04:23] Kartik Chaudhary:  tell us a little bit more about, give an insight into how this textile engineering department looks like, what all it has.

[00:04:30] Dr. Neha Mehra: Firstly. the structure is a hundred year old. We are in this campus since a, since a century. We are celebrating the centenary year rather. And we have housed the machines, which are of made of eighteen eighty nine, nineteen hundred and fourteen, which were imported at that time from, from the UK at that point of time, and which are the latest machines today.

[00:04:53] Dr. Neha Mehra: Also, those machines are majorly functional. And are used to teach students. So as much as we [00:05:00] have old machines, we do have new machines, latest machines also. But if you see the latest machines that are used in the industry, what happens is the latest machines are all compact, are all, tied up, and you are not able to see the mechanism happening inside. So why we need, why we actually, preserve these old machines is we can open up the machines, show up the gearing system, teach the students in the main. For, main way, and the principal kind of remains the same in the old machine of the new machine. Few modifications, we obviously enhance the teaching, but these old machines really help us in teaching the students.

[00:05:37] Dr. Neha Mehra: So, a mechanical engineer or textile engineer who works on machines, it's a real good exposure for them. But I also, because if you see the industrial revolution happened with textile machines, you know, the first industrial revolution happened. So if you want to see the whole re revolution steps, a visit to our department will actually, you [00:06:00] know, for, show that, you know. Very good.

[00:06:02] Kartik Chaudhary: It completely makes sense that you still maintain the old machines, and I think, I'm sure that sort of, makes these students foundations in understanding of the entire principles. Very strong. So, very interesting. So, okay, so we got a glimpse into the institute.

[00:06:16] Kartik Chaudhary: We got a glimpse into the the textile engineering department. But again, as I was mentioning in the introduction, what do you think are like what is the purpose of. Education and research in textile engineering field. how do you see those gaps being filled between students being in the classroom and when they go to the when they go and work actually in a manufacturing plant? How do you see the education and research sort of is shaping the future of this industry?

[00:06:45] Dr. Neha Mehra: so when I say, education, so as you said, like what you learned in the institute cannot actually match as per what exactly happened in the industry. I completely agree with that. To some extent, we need to make sure that we are able to give the [00:07:00] maximum. But, and we try to do this, that is we try to clear the concepts.

[00:07:05] Dr. Neha Mehra: We try to give the theory of each machinery that they would be using or of say, the chemicals that you, they would be using in the whole process sequence, whether it's yarn, manufacturing, or dying of yarn. So all of those concepts need to be clear. We try to, also give them examples like in, if I'm teaching them yarn dyeing they don't need to only understand what is a yarn Dyeing but where is the example it'll go to and why a yarn dyed product becomes more costly than a piece type product or something.

[00:07:36] Dr. Neha Mehra: So we try to correlate what we have learned in the industry, and so that comes as a practical, you know, bridging the gap. Apart from that, there is something which is called as our industry institute interaction. We have a dedicated slot in our timetable every week, two hours wherein we try to callpersonnel from the industries, from various industries [00:08:00] to come and have a talk with them, have a, deliver a lecture sometimes with the latest developments or what their industry is doing, or sometimes have a open conversation with them so that you know.

[00:08:11] Dr. Neha Mehra: It, this really helps them to keep them updated, of what is happening in the industry. Secondly, this also really supports in students trying to stick around to the textile industry. You know why? Because, initially when people join today, as you see, the world is all of AI and industry 4.0 and all of that.

[00:08:32] Dr. Neha Mehra: So the first preference of 90% students is computers or electronics, EXTC. The textile branch is not a first choice, or rather, it's more of, many times it is more of that. Yeah. I want to get into VJTI the tag, brand tag and then let's see whatever we do. So that's the thing. But now once they're here and our industry is so huge that we are, you know, we have so many jobs and we have a [00:09:00] dearth of engineers.

[00:09:01] Dr. Neha Mehra: to Serve the industry. It is our effort to make them stick to the textile field so that to when they enter, it's okay, whatever attitude they come in from. But in the final year, they should feel confident, no, this is the industry that I want to stick to. So this, industry institute interaction really helps, you know, motivate them, build their confidence.

[00:09:24] Dr. Neha Mehra: Seeing their own alumni. So sometimes we take care that there are three, four year, senior alumni or very senior alumni of VJTI comes and they interact with them so that they say, okay, yeah, they started also like how we were and you know, when they share. Yeah, this was the classroom I used to sit in. I was one of those back benchers.

[00:09:43] Dr. Neha Mehra: But see, today I have reached this height. So when those casual conversations happen, it really motivates the students that yeah, we can also do very well in the industry. So that is one thing. Secondly, we as faculty also take care that we stay updated to deliver [00:10:00] the best for the students. So many times we undergo trainings.

[00:10:04] Dr. Neha Mehra: We go to, plants or we go to companies, for a week, for two weeks, or if they have a specialized training program, which they can do for us so that when we are teaching a subject, unless we know what is the latest technology development, we won't be able to deliver the best. So that's how we make a effort from for the students as well as from our side to bridge the gap.

[00:10:27] Kartik Chaudhary: And I can say it's extremely important to bridge these gaps because, that was, that has been one struggle that. India had been facing, but now I think as the time is passing people are getting more and more aware and it's good to see that, institutes are putting in so much effort to make sure that these guys are ready for the industry and for the real world.

[00:10:46] Kartik Chaudhary: And it's just not a mere passing an examination. So that's really good to know. So, continuing on this conversation only. Tell us I mean, how do you ensure that the curriculum that you have [00:11:00] aligns with the the actual advancement in the technology? Because it's not easy.

[00:11:03] Kartik Chaudhary: I mean, these things are pretty complicated to do. once you set up the curriculum it, it happens that, it, you have already put in so much effort to make it. You want to keep it for a certain amount of years. You want to stick to it. But as we are seeing right now, world changes so fast, new technologies come in, the entire processes change. So how do you ensure that kind of a flexibility and resilience that your curriculum isaligning with the current demands and advancements?

[00:11:30] Dr. Neha Mehra: VJTI is an autonomous institute, so we have academic autonomy our, syllabus changes every four years. So every fourth year we revise the syllabus first. Okay. Secondly, we always have industry people in our advisory board to give us the inputs on the curriculum that we have designed.

[00:11:49] Dr. Neha Mehra: So every four years when we create our new curriculum, we have board of study meetings where the requirements are two to three [00:12:00] people who are at a top position of the industry. Two people who are recent alumni. So that once they have just left and they have entered the industry, they kind of know that no, this was more important in highlighting while teaching.

[00:12:14] Dr. Neha Mehra: So the recent alumni as well as, some people from the other academic institutes like an IIT or an NIT and our own team. So all of us sit together, brainstorm on each importance of each and every subject, how many hours each subject needs to be given, whether it should be more of practical, whether it should be more of theory.

[00:12:35] Dr. Neha Mehra: And, detailed parts. So the whole input from the industry is taken here and we try to incorporate as much as we can from the industry from, as the input from the industry. However, having said that, you know, there are changes which are taking place in the curriculum in the sense that recently, like six years back, we had a curriculum revision wherein the [00:13:00] changes had come from the central level where you had to reduce the number of credits That is because they want some students to have lesser stress and they need to have free time to learn and, you know, develop more things that they're interested in, whatever the reason. So we had to drastically reduce the number of subjects in the, that we take in the four years by about eight subjects. Now imagine if you have to remove eight subjects. You will have to compress the syllabus, something and you know, make them join together or combine two subjects, make it into one, or reduce the emphasis on some of the other subjects. So, which is where sometimes the industry comes and tells us, sorry, you need to teach this more.

[00:13:46] Dr. Neha Mehra: Or tells the students some Yeah. Unit. But that's a restriction from, for us. That we have to cover up everything. Our student needs to have an exposure of yarn manufacturing [00:14:00] from the oldest to the latest machines of weaving, from dobby to Jacquard to everything as well as he needs to have a briefing of dyeing printing, finishing so that what finish can be applied on something, on a cotton and cannot be applied on a polyester or is not required on a polyester.

[00:14:18] Dr. Neha Mehra: Those things he would need to know as well as testing. So when I try to untake everything as well as technical textiles now new, so it becomes really difficult to constrain, our syllabus and cover up everything so that our students are given exposure to most of the things. But, you know, cannot, we are not able to take in things in depth here somewhere. we do have electives. So in electives we give that choice that, you know, you take up, something in detail, something more like technical textiles, basically they would study, but there is a subject which is home textiles, which they can take as an [00:15:00] elective. So that more in detail of furnishing industry if they're intend to work on. So those kind of electives, we do float, but you know, it's, there is a constraint on the number of courses, on the number of subjects that you can have. But yeah, even keeping that in mind, we try to take inputs from the industry so that, you know, we are able to deliver the best.

[00:15:24] Kartik Chaudhary: And can you te te tell us about some interesting projects that students do,

[00:15:28] Kartik Chaudhary: there are a few projects which they students do whereinthere's a project where a. Student has, so this is a PhD work thing, but where students have worked on wound healing using natural products. So, there have been extracts that he has taken from turmeric and converted it into a form which can be directly applied onto textile.

[00:15:51] Dr. Neha Mehra: So like a bandaid, how you apply this fabric. If you apply on the fabric, it will help you in wound healing. Certain projects were done [00:16:00] wherein we are trying to produce mosquito repellent fabrics so that specifically if you talk of young babies or infants, you can't apply a mosquito repellent on them. So if you produce a bed cover, which is naturally mosquito repellent, but from natural resources, no chemicals involved at all. So from natural oils. So once the bed cover is on the kid, it's not even direct skin contact to the child as well as it is repelling. So certain, such applications or else. We also, there was a group of students who worked on recycling.

[00:16:33] Dr. Neha Mehra: So when I say recycling, they said that milk pouches, everyone throws n number of milk pouches every day. They go into thegarbage and into the landfill and there is no end to it. So they're trying to use. Milk pouches to increase the strength in a composite. So it's a way of recycling, and you can very well recycle them or get them. So various, such projects do happen.  recently a project is [00:17:00] happening where our students  are trying toincorporate a machine wherein inventory management or. From the storage facility, they

[00:17:08] Dr. Neha Mehra: would be able to track down, this is the thing that is required, that vessel would be able to take care, would have sensors. It can track down the path where it is available. It'll be able to get it down, take it ahead. So they're trying to create that kind of a vehicle. So, multidisciplinary research also happens in cement, concrete composites. Also, people work as well as core textiles also.

[00:17:33] Kartik Chaudhary: I mean, that's really good to know that such innovative projects are being carried out in the institute. And I mean, I hope a couple of these projects actually see the. Light of the day and it becomes like an industry norm because these projects really sound interesting. So, we also heard about this new education policy that has come in and, how do you think that has helped or that has enhanced the the curriculum and the lives of the students?

[00:17:58] Dr. Neha Mehra: The new education policy has [00:18:00] recently been taken up. VJTI is one of the first institutes which have implemented it. Our students who have joined in the new education policy are still in the first year. Now, the benefits of the new education policy are that it gives you flexibility. If you are required to leave the course for some reason, say you are medically unfit, or something, some big loss happened in the family. So what used to happen earlier was the student left the course and there was no coming back. So that freedom is given that if you have passed, say even the first year, you would get a certificate in textile if you have passed, if you leave the course for whatever reasons, in the second year, you will get a diploma in textile you leave after the third year you get a B.Sc.. And if you pass after the final year, then you get, sorry, you get a B Tech vocationally. So what, so, it gives firstly an opportunity for students even if, for say financial reasons or for medical reasons, if they had to leave the course, [00:19:00] they have some value attached to the number of hours or the number of years that they gave. And with that certificate or the diploma, they can search out for a job with the expertise that they have gained till then. That is one thing. Second thing, flexibility of coming back. So suppose someone had a financial loss, they had to leave the education, go start working, and within two years now, he has made enough money that he could come back and at least continue complete his education. So in a span of three years, he has the freedom to come back. Rejoin the program from where he left and continue the program. So that flexibility will really be very good and helpful for the students. Also the thing is that so new education policy supports a lot of multidisciplinary work. So like you see today, nothing is, no development is only one sided or in one stream. There is a multidisciplinary research. [00:20:00] So, the freedom is that yes, everyone gets a B.Tech. In the specialized in the branch that you have chosen. So suppose you are a BTech textile student, you will get your BTech in textile. But earlier what would happen, even the topper had the BTech and even the lower ranked person had a BTech. Now you complete the basic number of courses. You get a BTech, you choose an additional course. It say my interest is in artificial intelligence. So I choose a basket of courses, which is for artificial intelligence. I do these five or six subjects over a period of three years, additional one, one course extra per semester. So my degree will say, B. Tech in textile technology with minors in artificial intelligence. Or it could be with minors in civil engineering, it could be minors in electric. So any of these options are open for the student so that someone who wants to do multidisciplinary research can do that. And if [00:21:00] someone wants to have more knowledge in their own field. So he says that I don't want other branches. I want to specialize more in textile only. So he will choose those extra set of courses of textile. So he will get a B Tech with honors in textile. So it says that he has gained more knowledge than a normal B. Tech Textile person in the same domain. So this would really helpmultidisciplinary research as well as in, develop more interest of students in our field as well as some, collaborate with other departments. So it's very recent. It's, we are in the still first year of incorporating NEP, but we are very hopeful that this will, open up. Also the focus with NEP is that holistic development is a focus. So not justhaving focus on technical training, but they need to have good amount of personality development.

[00:21:56] Dr. Neha Mehra: They could have, they have co-curricular courses. They have design [00:22:00] thinking and creativity as a subject. So they, how to think out of the box, immaterial of the topic, how to think something different. Is a part of their course. So that creativity component, which I think today you or me, never had in our schooling and our training times is being a, being made a part of the curriculum.

[00:22:20] Dr. Neha Mehra: So this really helps them.

[00:22:21] Kartik Chaudhary: So good to know that policy makers are putting in so much thought and so much discussion into making sure that, the new generation that comes out of these academic institutions are like an overall personality, and rather than just. Being like in a horse barn focused on one thing.

[00:22:37] Kartik Chaudhary: So that's really good to know. And at all the points that you enhanced were that you pointed out were really interesting. So I hope that sort of, pushes us ahead in, in our quest to becoming a first world country that we are all looking at. So, I and I it really sounds great.

[00:22:54] Kartik Chaudhary: you did tell us about the projects that are being going on in your institutions. We did hear about the [00:23:00] gaps that you're trying to bridge between a classroom learning and a practical learning inside an actual manufacturing plant. From there the offshoot from that question is that I have interacted with some interns from VGTI.

[00:23:14] Kartik Chaudhary: How crucial do you think are these internship programs for students in textile engineering? And what do you think? The, all the students that are looking to do internships, what do you think are the kind of experiences should they be seeking to gain during these practical placements? So one aspect is the technical aspect, that's for sure.

[00:23:33] Kartik Chaudhary: Okay. Maybe you get to work on a machine that you didn't have in the college, or the machine is being used in a different way. One is that example, the other is obviously. A more soft skill driven situation. because when you are in a classroom or when you are living a college life, your behavior, your personality are slightly different than what you experience in a professional environment.

[00:23:56] Kartik Chaudhary: So how crucial do you think these internship programs and [00:24:00] what specifically do you suggest to all the students hearing this, what should they seek or gain during this internship? processes.

[00:24:08] Dr. Neha Mehra: So, internships basically turn out very crucial. Why? Because till now, whatever they have seen at a very small scale. So even if I have a pilot machine of the same machine that the industry is using, the kind of production, so they're seeing something is happening, some yarn is coming out, some spinning is happening, which is at a very small scale, but when they go to the industry, even if they see the same machine, the difference will be where that small parameter change actually leads to a lot ofloss or profit in the kind of yarn being produced or in the kind of fabric being produced. And that will incur so much of loss to the industry or so much of productivity to the industry. That whole gap, that whole bridging the gap, where okay we will do an experiment that, yes, this was this is how you do spinning. This is how the machine [00:25:00] works. the fiber is fed from here.

[00:25:01] Dr. Neha Mehra: The yarn will come out from here. Those basic things we would be able to teach. But every setting change in the machine leads to what difference in the product. We can't do that because firstly, we don't have so much of raw material to work with. And running the machine at a length does not turn out so feasible or doing so much of parameter studies is not so feasible with our students and the limited number of hours. So that small things that, they are, once they stand in front of the machinery and they see a technician doing parameter changes. Machine setting changes or doing the maintenance of the machine. So we tell our students that whenever the maintenance is happening, you need to be standing there because that is where you will actually get to see the whole setup of the machine. So that really makes a difference in their understanding. Secondlysomewhere the what are the requirements of the market? So many times students work with. Finding out what is new in the market as [00:26:00] a part of the internship, the they are given certain projects. And what would you do find a possible solution as a project. So when these live projects are given to them, it really motivates them to do good amount of research till now, we give them research we give them projects or we give them presentations or tutorial topics. They're only doing basic surveys, refer a textbook, get that basic information and come back. Now when they work on live projects, it really makes a difference in their understanding and in the depth that they need to get into. And it boosts their confidence when they go into the industry and the industry. People, fortunately being VJTI students treat them well with the legacy that VJTI students have. So they get, it boosts their confidence and they come back very happy that, this is how, they were, we were called upon, the technicians would call us. Come.. Main tumhe samjhata hoon, main tumhe sikhata hoon. So that respect given to them [00:27:00] really boost their confidence up.

[00:27:01] Kartik Chaudhary: There is a limitation when you are in college, like you're only interacting to your own age group people or your teachers. But when you are in an in a working environment, you know you have people from different economic backgrounds, from different aspects of life. So how do these things impact?.

[00:27:17] Dr. Neha Mehra: That exposure somewhere also reallysupport them. And at times it makes them humble also that okay, you sometimes have a confidence that I'm a VJTI person, but when you go into the industry, there's so much to learn. a senior who is, has a 20 year experience is coming and teaching you.

[00:27:34] Dr. Neha Mehra: They, when they say that people after teaching heights also are so humble, it makes them a little down to earth. It somewhere develops discipline also, because today, if you see these students are a little casual, somewhere, even if I don't come for that lecture or if I'm 10 minutes late, but when you go to the industry and you say, see that? Things like that don't work. You have to be on time. You have to be present, completely present for a [00:28:00] meeting or for a discussion. So those things also do impact on the students and the way they, look at it. Sometimes the students come back and they tell us, ma'am, why were you not so strict? Now when you actually go and start working and that nine to nine 15 doesn't work it goes as an impact. So then they're like, okay, now we realize why was that?

[00:28:19] Kartik Chaudhary: So maybe they should first take up an internship session and then they should, get into the classroom rather than other way around, because I think that's totally very important for them to realize the importance of it. so that's interesting. Dr. Neha, AI is the buzzword right now.

[00:28:35] Kartik Chaudhary: Automation is a buzzword right now. You mentioned Industry 4.0. So what is it like, how is the textile industry overall evolving? I'm sure you spend a lot of time in studying the newer innovations that are going on. How do you think automation and technology are playing the role in, transforming the yarn manufacturing process?

[00:28:54] Dr. Neha Mehra: So, automation and technology have a really large role today. [00:29:00] So, today, I mean, the number of workers that are required are much less. The number of managers that are required are much less thanks to automation and technolgy. But that doesn't mean that the requirement of textile engineer completely goes down because what is going to be the setting that is going to be required with the automation to be done so that we get a perfect product out will be done by the textile engineer.

[00:29:22] Dr. Neha Mehra: The requirements will be set by the textile engineer. The settings might be done by the in the automation sector these are queries which really impacted the textile industry. When we started talking about Industry 4.0 where there were conferences and people were really worried about what would happen to the people working for us. Yes, slowly it is being adapted. I would still not say that the whole adapt adaptation by the industry has happened yet. But yes, things have become much smoother than the amount of defects or the amount of loss that a company incurs due to [00:30:00] manual error will definitely be reduced. And the use of sensors, all of these in the machinery makes a real impact. And obviously it'll impact the kind of manpower that we will require, but it only impacts the kind of manpower. So we tell our students that yes, you are a textile engineer, you need to understand the machinery. Unless you understand the machinery, you can't even tell what parameters will actually improve your end product. But yes, you might need some special training to alsocater to the industry, which is being so. When we talk of automation, there are certain courses also which we have incorporated in our own curriculum. So there's electronic devices a subject on that where we take care of teaching those sensors and various PCM parts and everything. There's a subject on Industry 4.0 specifically, so that what all are the bridge what are the gaps in the industry or what are the changes that are taking. What are happening in the industry so that our students are prepared and they [00:31:00] don't go like, oh, this was never taught to us, so how do I adapt to this change? So we are trying to incorporate those changes in the curriculum itself. But as so the, we are looking at the pace of this adaption happening in the industry. We, get there so.

[00:31:17] Kartik Chaudhary: So I mean that, that makes sense. because a lot of people are nervous that it's going to come and it's going to take up jobs, but it's very important that you mentioned the kind of jobs. Because it's going to make the entire process way more efficient.

[00:31:30] Kartik Chaudhary: The quality will improve. So, maybe the manual jobs, the, the menial jobs, the jobs which human mind should not be doing. human mind should be doing more creative stuff and, more efficient work.

[00:31:42] Kartik Chaudhary: So, one and another, I mean, buzzword that we do here, especially in the manufacturing industries, is sustainability. I mean, we run an agency and we work with a lot of manufacturers and a lot of times we see that, whenever we are exploring the European markets and, north American [00:32:00] markets.

[00:32:00] Kartik Chaudhary: The, those customers are looking for companies that focus more on sustainability and, who focus more on giving back to the environment and, who are recycling. There are certain government mandates also that sort of pushes the companies to go into the sustainable practices. Lots of factories around Gujarat, Silvassa, they'll be generating a part of their power from solar solar from renewables.

[00:32:25] Kartik Chaudhary: they would be recycling the water that is sort of being used in the factory. it is a growing concern in various industries. How is textile engineering, contributing to the implementation and development of sustainable practices within yarn manufacturing?

[00:32:41] Kartik Chaudhary: Even, the one thing I do like to point out that Beekaylon synthetics is pretty good. They are, making sure that a lot of power in their plant is being manufactured from solar power. They also have a big, ETP, if you ever get a chance to go to their factory, you should. And also they have been manufacturing these [00:33:00] recycle yarns with Ciclo and otherwise, and, they are really doing a great job in making sure that sustainability remains a big part of their manufacturing process. What are your

[00:33:10] Kartik Chaudhary: views on it?

[00:33:11] Dr. Neha Mehra: The sustainability has become a part of our industry. Very much so wherein we are now focusing so much on recycling of material. As you said, Beekaylon is very much known for it. They're taking so much of efforts and it is great, which is where we also would like our students to go have a exposure of that In the curriculum perspective, we do have a course also on sustainability so that in the whole cycle, so where, whether it's yarn manufacturing or in the fabric or in the dyeing. What are the banned chemicals or what are the processes that you could do so that you make the, small steps also, which can make our process sustainable. And thengiving them exposure to various organizations such as the DHCRSL, everything, so that they are aware of, okay, [00:34:00] if they actually go and work in a team wherein they're going to work on improving the sustainability aspect of the industry or. Taking steps toward making it more sustainable. They have that exposure. So basically that as well as we do encourage our students to work on this aspect. So when I said that the milk pouch project, which happened, so where the students have a realization that a lot of waste is being incorporated into the landfills, and then they want to find out solutions. Even our students, when they go to their internship, many times the company themselves gives them the project that this is our waste, or this is a big problem for our industry. Find out a solution for it. So that aspect. Now, slowly people have started realizing and people have started taking steps. Industry is very much so taking steps. Butsometimes there is also a gap, like, wherein. People know that yeah, they want to do something, but what do they want to do? They're not aware of. So, I [00:35:00] think it's a great growth in the sustainability sector, specifically in yarn manufacturing because polyester recycling has become a very good component.

[00:35:10] Dr. Neha Mehra: And as you mentioned, solar energy usage or affluent treatment, complete recycling of water, 99% recycling of water are the major steps that the textile industry takes.

[00:35:21] Kartik Chaudhary: Okay, so a because anyway, textile industry, India's textile industry is one of the biggest contributor in the economic growth. So, it is a responsibility that they have to sort of make sure that, sustainability. It becomes a growing concern. And it's good that it is it should be a buzzword, the customers should be more careful of to choosing companies that they buy from and they should be looking into the sustainable practices that they follow.

[00:35:46] Kartik Chaudhary: So that's great to know. So, Dr. Neha as we now wrap up the conversation tell usthere are a lot of students that hear this podcast from all over India. From the outside, obviously textile industry [00:36:00] would be one of the biggest employment generators in the country because the demand is such, the product is such that, no matterwhere you live, what kind lifestyle you have, textile is all around us.

[00:36:11] Kartik Chaudhary: So, tell us for students and young professionals are interested in pursuing a career in textile engineering. What is your advice to them? What skills of areas of expertise you think they should focus on, and where will you recommend people to join this industry? how does it look like in, in, maybe in the next 10, 20, 50 years?

[00:36:32] Kartik Chaudhary: What is your advice for the students and aspiring professionals?

[00:36:35] Dr. Neha Mehra: so,  firstly, I expect the students that if you plan to leave the field and go ahead, I mean, your choice is the first, obviously you need to enjoy your job, but this is something that it is going to give you a big growth if you only see the starting package of some other. Department getting, being more, be rest assured and, a starting package, even if it is slightly less, might [00:37:00] be today. We are very close to at par with other branches. But even if you feel so, the growth that the textile industry gives you is much more. Why? Because you have to do less of competition. An IT industry has too much of competition. You just see the number of colleges which are, which have an IT course. Certain institutes running two shifts of IT courses, computer courses, because there is so much of demand. But in the end, you to grow in the industry, you have that amount of competition. You are in an textile industry.

[00:37:31] Dr. Neha Mehra: You you develop your competence and it leads you to grow many folds. So within few years, in two years, three years, people have started becoming assistant manager positions. They start getting promoted. They grow drastically. So that is one thing which is very important that you realize that you see the whole graph Speaking of what they should learn, what they should focus on is they should really focus on starting, getting [00:38:00] information from various books sitting together. And clearing the concepts so you could, many times what happens is when you are studying from one book you, or you have studied certain amount of one subject, you're not able to cover up the other subject.

[00:38:17] Dr. Neha Mehra: So make the study circle, everyone take out topics, So it also improves your confidence. It gives you more clarity, plus your friends will question you while you are teaching them. It motivates you to study further. And today what is happening is practical difficulty as a teacher, I would say, is that things have become too simple for students, as in you give them an assignment, you give them a project. The easiest thing is use chat, GPT type the title, and you have an answer. That works temporarily. You might get that marks for that assignment, but in the long run when an interviewer will ask you the same question, you [00:39:00] will not be able to answer and which is why we emphasize in the class again and again that you are not studying for the exam. Till the 12th standrd,. You were studying for the exam, you were getting marks. Now you are only studying for your interview. That is the only basic you know, thing that you have to pass. Marks are going to be irrelevant even if you are a 90% nine pointer, but you're not able to answer in the interview. It doesn't matter. So we should avoid those shortcuts. They can be our support, but we need to take care that we actually learn the concept when we take it ahead. So that is really something that, I would like to focus.

[00:39:37] Kartik Chaudhary: what do you see like in, in the next 10, 20, 30, 50 years? What are the like the prospects for the students and, is it an exciting industry for newer generation to look

[00:39:47] Kartik Chaudhary: at

[00:39:48] Dr. Neha Mehra: so a lot of the new products that are coming in are with textiles and polymers. So it is somewhere that, it's not that because AI is growing or because some other field is growing, we are going to [00:40:00] stay back. Rather, our amalgamation and more multidisciplinary work is going to be the way ahead. So it is a place where. Work and growth will happen. And yes, while you are, while you study this course, you have to parallel learn to incorporate other branches and do more multidisciplinary work, which is going to be the.

[00:40:25] Kartik Chaudhary: Correct, and I mean, textile industry is the, like you had also mentioned in the earlier part of the podcast that industrial Revolution was around textile industry. And textile industry is usually the growth driver of any economy, of any ecosystem. So I think it will continue togrow. So, thank you Dr.

[00:40:42] Kartik Chaudhary: Neha. Thank you for being part of spinning values and giving us your valuable time. And we look forward to having few more of

[00:40:49] Dr. Neha Mehra: Thank you so much. It was my pleasure.

[00:40:51] Kartik Chaudhary: thank you so much.

[00:40:52] Thank you for listening to this episode of spinning values. This is an original podcast by biggie alone, synthetics. [00:41:00] This show is produced by Inscape media.com. If you liked this episode, please do share it with others who might like it.

[00:41:08] Thank you for listening and see you in the next episode. Take care.