Technical advisor Mr. Jayakumar Gopalakrishnan will serve as an ASTM International consultant in India to promote and enhance the awareness and use of ASTM International standards and related products and services relevant to the textile and personal protective equipment industries. 

As a consultant, Gopalakrishnan’s responsibilities will include promoting and facilitating active Indian expert participation in ASTM Committees D13 on Textiles and F23 on Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment; encouraging laboratories to participate in related D13 proficiency test programs pertaining to textiles and yarns and threads; and organizing and conducting annual textile industry events in India.  He will also continue to serve as an instructor for various ASTM technical and professional training courses related to textiles.

An active member of ASTM Committees D13 and F23 since 1997, Gopalakrishnan was appointed the first distance education representative for ASTM International and the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) in India and Sri Lanka in 2003.  Since then, he has taught several ASTM technical and professional training programs in India and spent four years as a member of the AATCC board of directors.  During this time, he was instrumental in forming the first AATCC section outside the U.S. in India, and now works with AATCC as a membership services provider for South and Southeast Asia. 

Gopalakrishnan, who holds a master’s degree in textiles chemistry from the University of Manchester, has worked in the textiles industry for more than 20 years in both Europe and Asia.  His most recent position was that of technical resources and customer service manager at the India office of Global Resource Management Inc., a position he held for 15 years before beginning his independent consulting work in 2008. In addition to his work with ASTM and AATCC, he is an accredited trainer for the Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDIC).

Additional information about ASTM International standards and Committees D13 on Textiles and F23 on Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment is available at www.astm.org.

For more information about ASTM International standards in India, contact Jayakumar Gopalakrishnan, New #6, North Main Road, Annanagar West, Madras, 600 101, India (phone: +91-44-2615-1791; mobile: +91-988-484-0404; fax: +91-44-2615-1792; textile1@astm.org).

Release #8175/Feb2009