Page 6 - Yogesh Kusumgar Flipbook

out on. Of course, this required study and experience of fabrics.
YKK graduated from VJTI and, as a 22-year-old, joined Sasmira Institute (dedicated to research in textiles) in Mumbai in 1962, as a senior scientific assistant.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela
YKK’s first breakthrough was with Hindustan Aluminium which asked YKK to offer cotton-based filter fabrics for the aluminium industry. YKK took up the challenge but realised it was prone to pilferage as the cotton looked like suiting material. Eventually, he replaced conventional cotton with a synthetic material that would last longer, give a better quality of filtration and be cost- effective. This was a product offering he eventually discontinued, two decades
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The first few years of the ’60s were a
critical period for India because it was
facing aggression from China. Young
people like YKK were keen to examine
India’s performance in this face-off and
concluded that its poor preparedness
was one of the reasons as far as military up his own company.
equipment was concerned. The urgent One small step for YKK became a giant import of this equipment had not really
1st
helped. Going forward, the Government of India decided that henceforth the
leap for the technical textile industry! later, because a high degree of expensive customisation was required for the
country’s military would be modernised with the help of indigenous sources.
At Sasmira, YKK had made the important discovery that textiles could be used
for much more than apparels. This was through his interaction with Dr White, a visiting expert, which resulted not only in deepening YKK’s grasp of textiles but also the realisation of its myriad uses.
By 1969, YKK was in-charge of the technical institute at Sasmira and he handled the mechanical processing department. He decided to leave and set
smallest of orders.