This was announced in the 8th Empowered Programme Committee (EPC) meeting, chaired by Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, under the National Technical Textiles Mission, on Tuesday, at Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi.
Technical textiles are engineered fabrics with specific functionalities.
The approved Start-Up projects are focused on key strategic areas of Composites, Sustainable Textiles, and Smart Textiles. The approved Education Institutes have proposed to introduce new B.Tech courses in different fields and applications of technical textiles including Geotextiles, Geosynthetics, Composites, Civil Structures, etc.
Additionally, five educational institutes, including NITs, will introduce new courses related to technical textiles, thanks to a grant of around INR 20 crores. These courses will cover various applications, including geotextiles, geosynthetics, composites, and civil structures.
Technical textiles are materials designed for their functional properties rather than aesthetics. These find applications in various industries. One of the examples is its usage in agriculture for crop protection, shade nets, and soil stabilisation. Another is Fabrics with conductive properties, used in wearables and smart clothing.
India’s technical textiles market is the 5th largest globally, expanding at a CAGR of 8-10% over the past five years. In 2021-22, the market size reached US$ 21.95 billion, with US$ 19.49 billion in domestic production and US$ 2.46 billion in imports.
Recognizing the potential, India has set up a National Technical Textiles Mission with the goal of achieving an average growth rate of 15-20%. The mission aims to increase the domestic market size of technical textiles to US$ 40-50 billion by 2024 through market development, international collaborations, and the Make in India initiative.
The Technical Textiles sector gained further prominence during the Covid-19 crisis, as India rapidly scaled up production of PPE kits and masks, showcasing its ability to innovate even in challenging times.
Last year in October, the Ministry of Textiles cleared 23 strategic research projects worth around INR 60 crores. These projects cover areas like specialty fibers, sustainable textiles, geotextiles, mobiltech, and sports textiles.
Advertisements