In News:

The Grant for Research & Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT) scheme, launched in August 2023 under the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), aims to promote startup-led innovation and entrepreneurship in the rapidly growing sector of technical textiles in India.

As of February 2025, the government has approved four startups under the scheme, providing them with financial assistance to develop commercially viable innovations.

About the GREAT Scheme:

• Objective: To encourage young innovators, scientists, and startups in the technical textiles domain to convert ideas into market-ready products or functional prototypes.
• Implementation: Operated by the Ministry of Textiles under the R&D and Innovation Component of the NTTM.
• Financial Support:
  • Grants of up to Rs.50 lakh for a period of up to 18 months.
  • 10% upfront contribution from startups (e.g., ?5 lakh for a ?50 lakh grant).
  • No royalty or equity required by the government.
• Approved Projects: Focus areas include Medical Textiles, Industrial Textiles, and Protective Textiles.

Complementary Initiatives under NTTM:

Academic and Skill Development:

• Education Institutes:
  • ?6.5 crore approved for 3 academic institutes, including IIT Indore and NIT Patna, to introduce new courses in Geotextiles, Sports Textiles, Protective Textiles, and more.
• Skill Training:
  • 12 Skill Development Courses launched across application areas such as Medical, Agricultural, Mobile, and Protective Textiles.
  • Developed by leading Textile Research Associations: SITRA, NITRA, and SASMIRA.
  • Aim to train stakeholders across the technical textile value chain.

National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM): An Overview

• Launched: 2020
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Textiles
• Total Outlay: ?1,480 crore
• Mission Goals:
  • Make India a global leader in technical textiles.
  • Expand the market size to $40–50 billion with 15–20% annual growth.
  • Increase domestic penetration and usage of high-performance technical textiles.

Four Key Components:

1. Research, Innovation, and Development
2. Promotion and Market Development
3. Export Promotion
4. Education, Training, and Skill Development

• Sectoral Focus:Agro-textiles, Geotextiles, Medical Textiles, Industrial Textiles, Mobile Textiles, Home Textiles, Sports Textiles, Protective Textiles, and others.
• Policy Support:Includes integration with PLI schemes, PM MITRA Parks, and formulation of quality control regulations to strengthen manufacturing capabilities.

Significance for India’s Development:

• Encourages Atmanirbhar Bharat through self-reliant manufacturing and innovation.
• Strengthens India's competitiveness in high-end technical textiles for defense, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, and disaster response.
• Bridges the gap between lab-level R&D and market-ready products, especially by supporting startups in early innovation stages.