Behind the Looms
A Journey Through Universal Textile Mills, Bangalore
When my family decided to visit India for the first time in twenty years, I was both excited and a little anxious. Three weeks off work felt like a big ask! Maybe I could work a tour into my trip? Saana connected me with Vikram Jaipuria, the director of Universal Textile Mills (UTM), through email. A few weeks later, I found myself on my way to UTM, located just outside Bangalore.
Arriving at UTM’s lush, sprawling campus, I was welcomed by a scene that felt both grounded and festive. The atrium near the entrance was still decorated from Vikram’s birthday celebration the day before, with a painted banner and flowers adding an unexpected warmth. Settling in, I was offered fresh coconut water while I waited for Vikram, who greeted me with an apology for the delay: someone had to climb a tree to fetch the coconut just then. It was a small but fitting detail—a moment that perfectly embodied UTM’s commitment to the finest quality in everything they do.
The atrium, decorated for UTM director Vikram’s birthday.
The Velvet Looms
Our first stop was the velvet épinglé loom room. Velvet, Veera explained, is often the crown jewel of weaving, but épinglé elevates it even further. Unlike traditional velvet, épinglé incorporates both looped and cut pile, creating a three-dimensional texture that feels both sumptuous and intriguing to the touch. Watching these looms at work was mesmerizing—the intricacies of threading and pattern-making rendered visible the complex math and mechanics behind these textiles. Each loom has specialized blades to cut loops selectively, crafting a luxurious texture that feels more like an art piece than just fabric.
Velvet épinglé on the loom. At the top, you can see the wires used to hold the weft that is then cut, resulting in the raised effect.
Another example of velvet épinglé.
The reverse of the previous velvet.
Embroidery: Precision Meets Artistry
From the looms, we moved into the embroidery section, where Japanese and Korean machines, occasionally adorned with stickers of deities, buzzed with meticulous precision. Although UTM handles a lot of machine embroidery now, they once relied heavily on hand embroidery, a craft that has gradually waned due to the scarcity of skilled artisans. The mill has blended traditional craftsmanship with modern technique, so even machine work has a hand-touched quality, evident in the fine detailing achieved here.
Our guide, Veera, showing us the embroidery machine.
This machine is capable of many kinds of embroidery, resulting in intricate fabrics.
Here, they’re embroidering on top of one of their jacquard fabrics, resulting in a more complex fabric.
Detail of the embroidery.
Designers convert the artwork to be read by the embroidery machines.
I loved seeing how people personalized their workspaces using stickers.
The final product!
A Glimpse into the Design Studio
Before lunch, we visited the design studio, a hive of creativity. Here, artists and textile designers collaborate to create the stunning patterns and colorways that become UTM’s seasonal collections. I watched as designers transformed hand-painted works into digital files, readying them for the loom. It’s an intricate dance of traditional artistry and digital precision—a process that UTM’s team has refined into a seamless workflow.
The library of previous designs created by UTM, kept on-hand for quick reference.
Artist Suresh Pavar painting an original design in the studio.
A wall of UTM and Jaipuria Silk Mills offerings.
Lunch Break
One of the most unexpected and delightful moments of the day came as we crossed paths with a group of friendly puppies on our way to lunch, padding around the employee dining area as they waited patiently for their own meal.
We sat down for lunch, a freshly cooked spread served in lidded silver vessels, and were joined by Vikram and his sons, Abhay and Akshay, both of whom play integral roles in the company. As I tore into my puri—carefully using only my right hand, as I’d been practicing for weeks—we discussed the complexities of modern textile production, from the technical know-how required to operate complex looms to the challenge of a dwindling pool of skilled artisans. Vikram shared his candid thoughts on the difficulty of attracting young talent to textiles, a field often overlooked in favor of flashier tech careers. Abhay asked about my experience at art school in California and whether any of my peers had ventured into the textile industry. It was wonderful to see their family dynamic in action, and we capped off the meal with slices of chocolate cake—leftovers from Vikram’s birthday celebration the day before.
The Dyeing Facility and Yarn Library
After lunch, we toured UTM’s dyeing facility, where yarns are dyed through processes like hank dyeing, known for its rich color saturation with minimal chemical damage. Here, UTM’s sustainable ethos shone: founded on eco-conscious principles, the facility captures the majority of its water through rainwater harvesting, reverse osmosis, and extensive wastewater treatment systems. To minimize emissions, UTM relies on hand-pushed trolleys rather than vehicles to transport materials around the campus, and uses briquettes made from peanut shell waste and sawdust as heat sources in the dyeing process. Even steam produced during dyeing is captured, passed to boilers for reuse, reducing overall fuel costs. Solar panels cover the buildings, generating over half of the mill’s energy needs—enough to keep lights, weaving, and dyeing operations running independently from the grid, an essential measure during India’s frequent power cuts.
In the heart of the campus, we visited UTM’s yarn library, an archive of every shade they’ve developed over the years. Organized in a spectrum of colors, this library serves as a visual record of UTM’s dedication to color precision and variety. Here, all dyes are AZO-free, reflecting the mill’s commitment to safety and environmental responsibility by avoiding chemicals with harmful long-term effects.
Mandalas adorned the entryway to the dyeing building.
These are the machines they use to dye their natural fibers.
Yarn being dried.
An industrial yarn drier.
Freshly dyed yarn waiting to be dried.
After drying, the yarn is bundled into the appropriate combination for each project.
The yarn library, a functional archive of all the colors on offer at UTM.
Quality Control: The Final Check
Our last stop was quality control, where textiles are inspected one final time before leaving the mill. This meticulous process ensures that each fabric meets UTM’s rigorous standards, whether it’s destined for a high-end upholstery line or a single, exclusive piece for a private collector. It was here that the entire journey of each textile—from concept to final product—came full circle, and I gained a profound appreciation for the layers of skill, history, and dedication embedded in each piece.
Veera explained how threads can break on the embroidery machines, so the final step is a fastidious quality control check.
Then these sewists manually correct the errors using industrial sewing machines.
These employees use stickers to mark any area that needs further attention.
Social Responsibility at UTM
UTM’s dedication goes beyond textiles—it extends to their people and their families. UTM ensures fair wages, offers scholarships for up to two children per employee, educating more than 500 children every year. They believe in the power of education to create change and support their employees’ families with programs that include free hygiene products, food support, and medical assistance such as calipers for those with disabilities or funding for surgeries. It’s a commitment that reflects a sincere belief in community and positive social impact.
As I left UTM that day, I was struck not only by the mill’s dedication to quality but also by its commitment to a craft that is both incredibly technical and undeniably artistic. My visit was a reminder of what textiles can represent: a blend of utility and beauty, crafted with respect for both the earth and its people.