TechnoSport, an Indian activewear company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) at IIT Delhi to set up a research centre focused on sports textiles at the institute’s Sonipat campus.
The centre, named T-CREST (TechnoSport Center for Research and Entrepreneurship in Sports Textile), will be established under the Atal Innovation Mission, a NITI Aayog initiative. TechnoSport has committed to investing Rs 4.5 crore over three years toward research, prototyping and capability building in the sector.
The partnership will pair TechnoSport’s manufacturing and product development experience with IIT Delhi’s research and engineering capabilities. According to the companies, T-CREST will study how textile materials and garment design affect athletic performance, comfort and recovery, examining these factors in relation to the athlete, the sport, the environment and the garment itself. Athletes, coaches, textile scientists and sports-science specialists are expected to take part in the research and testing process.
The MoU was signed in the presence of IIT Delhi Deputy Director (Strategic & Planning) Prof. Vivek V. Buwa, FITT Managing Director Dr. Nikhil Agarwal, AIC IIT Delhi CEO Alok Pandey, Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering Associate Professor Prof. Bipin Kumar, and TechnoSport CEO Puspen Maity.
T-CREST will operate out of the Atal Incubation Centre at IIT Delhi’s Sonipat campus, near Haryana’s sporting training hubs. Beyond product research, the companies said the initiative is intended to support India’s broader start-up ecosystem in sports technology, including talent development and entrepreneurship in the sector.
The announcement cited a Google-Deloitte report projecting India’s sports market will reach $130 billion by 2030, with sector employment rising from 4.7 million to 10.5 million over the same period.
Sunil Jhunjhunwala, Co-Founder and Managing Director, TechnoSport, said, “India has the scientific talent, manufacturing depth and sporting ambition to create world-class performance sportswear here. Through our partnership with IIT Delhi, T-CREST gives us the opportunity to combine rigorous scientific research with TechnoSport’s experience in textiles, product development and manufacturing. Our ₹4.5 crore commitment is about building the science, capabilities and talent required to develop high-performance products in India that can stand alongside the best globally.”
Puspen Maity, CEO, Technosport, said, “India’s opportunity is not just to develop new textile technologies, but to turn them into commercially viable products that can reach millions of consumers. T-CREST brings together scientific know-how, product development and execution with our understanding of manufacturing, markets and consumers, helping take an innovation from the lab to a product that can be successfully built, launched and adopted at scale.”
Alok Pandey, CEO, AIC IIT Delhi, said, “T-CREST is an opportunity to bring researchers, innovators, industry, coaches and athletes together to build technology-led solutions for the future of sports in India. By connecting IIT Delhi’s research capabilities with Technosport’s product development and manufacturing expertise, we aim to create a stronger pathway from research and innovation to real-world sporting applications. I also thank Prof. Bipin Kumar from IIT Delhi’s Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering for his instrumental role in shaping this partnership and his continued support in taking this initiative forward.”
The collaboration is also expected to create opportunities for IIT Delhi faculty, students and researchers to work with TechnoSport’s R&D and product teams.
