The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Delhi) start-up SWATRIC has collaborated with the Flag Foundation of India to develop a top-notch and advanced textile solution for the national flag of the country.
At the lab scale, the researchers have successfully improved the strength of the fabric by 100%.
In a release, IIT Delhi said that it is also in the process of installing a monumental National Flag on its campus. The project is expected to complete by March 2022. Mr Naveen Jindal, Founder, Flag Foundation of India and Chairman, Jindal Steel & Power limited (JSPL) and IIT Delhi alumni have come forward to contribute to the project.
The Law
Under the law of usage of Indian National Flag, Monumental Flag are mammoth-sized National Flags that are not lowered at the sunset and are adequately illuminated during the night. This was introduced after a policy decision by the Ministry of Home Affairs on 23rd December 2009, which allowed the National Flag to fly day and night on mammoth-sized National Flags.
These flags, once installed, face challenges of being damaged due to heavy winds and tough weather conditions.
In addition, a recent amendment in the Flag Code of India, 2002, also says that The National Flag of India shall be made of hand spun and hand woven or machine made, cotton/polyester/wool/silk khadi bunting.
Solution By SWATRIC
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| Image credits - swatric.com/indian-flag |
SWATRIC's unique advanced solution take care of specific requirement for these flags to be durable and weather resistant under extreme condition without being too heavy.
Using the advanced fabric being developed by SWATRIC, the the Flag Foundation of India (FFI) has already installed two different prototypes of the monumental National Flag on the field, one in Delhi and another one in Ladakh.
Prof. Bipin Kumar, Textile and Fibre Engineering Dept., IIT Delhi & Mentor, SWATRIC, said, "The aim is to make the monumental flag material durable for extreme weather conditions without being too heavy. Next month, we are also sending 10 different prototypes to different locations in the country for installation. So far, our research is at prototyping stage, the exact durability of the flag will be known in the next few months."
The startup also provide solution to offer environmentally friendly flags of biodegradable material.
The flag(s) can be bought from here - https://nationflagshop.com/.
SWATRIC's Other Tech Solutions
SWATRIC aims to revolutionize Indian domestic textile and garment industries in commercializing new and competitive categories of smart and functional products. The startup is also working on other technologies like E-Textile technology, Shape Memory technology and Advanced Knitting.The startup's E-Textile Technology includes the integration of smart sensor/actuator materials in garments for non-invasive health monitoring. Such fabric sensor and actuator help to detect the individual’s vital signs and retransmit them via wireless sensor technology to provide continuous feedback on the health status.
While, the Shape Memory Technology-based textiles are novel fabrics that respond to the temperature stimulation. This shape-memory technology of SWATRIC can be used by different textile and apparel industries to impart smart functionalities to their garment or textile products such as self fitting socks, soft actuators, wrinkle free garment, pressure garments, etc.