Summary
Monumental national flags by SWATRIC are also biodegradable, stain-free and dirt-proof
IIT Delhi to instal a monumental national flag on its campus by March 2022
An IIT Delhi start-up has designed several types of advanced fabrics for monumental national flags to make them durable in India's diverse climatic and geographical conditions.
Researchers at SWATRIC claim to have successfully improved the strength of the flag fabric by 100 per cent. Flags made by SWATRIC are also biodegradable, stain-free, dust- and dirt-proof.
SWATRIC and the Flag Foundation of India (FFI) joined hands last year with an aim to filter the best possible fabric design and structure for monumental national flags.
Monumental flags are mammoth-sized National Flags that are not lowered at sunset and are adequately illuminated at night. This was introduced after a policy decision by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2009 that allowed the National Flag to fly day and night. These mammoth-sized flags always face challenges of being damaged by heavy winds and tough weather conditions.
Using the advanced fabric being developed by SWATRIC, the FFI has already installed two different prototypes of the monumental national flag in Delhi and Ladakh.
“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, said Bipin Kumar, professor, Textile and Fibre Engineering Department, IIT Delhi, and the mentor of the start-up.
IIT Delhi is also in the process of installing a monumental national flag on its campus. The project is expected to be completed by March.
“Our faculty members have been closely interacting with the Flag Foundation of India, a non-profit organisation founded by Naveen Jindal. They are looking at multiple aspects related to the national flag. They are working closely to develop material standards for monumental flags and a lot of field trials are currently on. I am glad to know that the initial results are encouraging," IIT Delhi director V. Ramgopal Rao said.
The Flag Foundation of India's primary vision to popularise the display of the national Tricolour by more and more Indians, with a great sense of pride.
The SWATRIC website sells flags in various sizes and for various purposes. The start-up also takes orders for customised flags.
Last updated on 26 Jan 2022
