The decentralized Powerloom sector has established a prominent place in the Indian Textile Industry by its major contribution towards cloth production. SITRA is the first textile research association in India to start a Powerloom service Centre (PSC) to cater the needs of Powerloom sector. Somanur in Tamil Nadu is the first city where the first powerloom service centre was started by SITRA in the year 1976. At present ,SITRA has seven powerloom service centres at Karur, Komarapalyam, Palladam, Salem, Rajapalayam, Somanur and Tiruchengode - all are in Tamil Nadu.

The various services offered by the PSCs are out lined below:

1) Consultancy

• Product diversification.
• Technology upgradation and modernisation of looms.
• Improving quality and productivity.
• Minimising waste.
• Maintenance of machinery to prevent break downs.
• Attaching mechanisms like drill, satin, dobby, jacquard, dropbox, terry etc., to produce variety of fabrics.
• Guidance for exporters.

2) Training

The following training programs are conducted for upgrading the skills of powerloom owners, weavers and jobbers:

• Powerloom mechanism
• Dropbox mechanism
• Dobby mechanism
• Weaving calculations
• Fabric designs
• Eco friendly dyeing of reactive colours
• Dyeing of vat colours

3) Seminars

Seminars and workshops are organised periodically on the following topics:

• Entrepreneur development programme
• Quality control
• TUF scheme
• Export procedures
• Process control in sizing
• WTO and its implications
• Eco friendly textiles
• Technical textiles

4) Exhibitions / Study tours

Study tours to other major centres of powerlooms as well as machinery exhibitions to assist diversification and transfer of technology are being organised.

5) Library and Internet

The PSCs provide technical information by way of keeping various text books, journals, newspapers etc and also assisting collection of information through Internet. Fabric library is also being established.

6) Technical books in Tamil

Books on various topics are published in Tamil , which are very useful for the powerloom sector.

7) Project preparation

Bankable projects for technology upgradation and modernisation of looms are prepared.

8) Liaison visits

To identify various technical problems of the industry and to find measures to overcome the same, liaison visits are made to the powerloom units.

9) Video cassette / CD

Good work practices have been prepared in both Video Cassette and Compact Disc (CD) for the benefit of powerloom weavers.