In News:

India’s textile sector plays a vital role in the country’s economy, contributing nearly 2% to GDP and ranking as the world’s 6th largest textile exporter with a 3.9% share of global textile exports. The sector is projected to grow to USD 350 billion by 2030, generating around 3.5 crore jobs. Alongside traditional textiles, technical textiles—specialized fabrics designed for specific industrial and functional uses—are emerging as a major growth driver.

What are Technical Textiles?

Technical textiles are fabrics engineered for performance rather than aesthetics. They serve diverse sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, construction, automotive, and safety by providing solutions like protective gear, medical textiles, geotextiles, and industrial fabrics. The industry segments technical textiles into 12 categories based on application.

National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM)

To capitalize on this potential, the Ministry of Textiles launched the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) in 2020, with an outlay of ?1,480 crore running through 2025-26. The mission aims to position India as a global leader in technical textiles by focusing on innovation, research, market expansion, export promotion, and skill development.

Four Pillars of NTTM:

1. Research, Innovation, and Development: Funding and supporting R&D projects to develop new materials and processes.
2. Promotion and Market Development: Facilitating wider adoption of technical textiles domestically and internationally.
3. Export Promotion: Establishing dedicated export councils to enhance global market access.
4. Education, Training, and Skill Development: Training 50,000 individuals, from students to professionals, through specialized courses and industry internships.

Since its inception, NTTM has approved 168 research projects worth ?509 crore and allocated ?517 crore towards mission activities. So far, ?393.39 crore has been utilized for research, market promotion, export, and skill training.

Key Initiatives under NTTM

• GIST 2.0 (Grant for Internship Support in Technical Textiles): Bridges academia and industry by providing hands-on learning and internships, fostering innovation and supporting the Make in India initiative.
• GREAT Scheme (Grant for Research & Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles): Funds startups and educational institutions to commercialize innovative technical textile products. For example, 8 startups received ?50 lakh each to develop medical, industrial, and protective textiles. IIT Indore and NIT Patna were awarded ?6.5 crore to launch specialized courses in geotextiles and sports textiles.
• Skill Development: Courses developed by premier textile research associations like SITRA, NITRA, and SASMIRA train workers in sectors such as medical, protective, mobile, and agricultural textiles.
• Technotex 2024: A platform showcasing cutting-edge projects under the NTTM Innovation Zone, featuring 71 innovations to attract global investments.

Impact and Success Stories

India is witnessing rapid innovation in technical textiles. For instance, Eicher Goodearth’s “Mahina” is India’s first bonded leak-proof period underwear, providing 12-hour protection using natural materials and reusable up to 100 washes.

Several states are prioritizing technical textiles growth through policy support. Tamil Nadu’s budget highlights include establishing the PM MITRA Park in Virudhunagar and a textile park in Salem, along with increased subsidies for machinery modernization in spinning units—from 2% to 6%—to lower costs and boost competitiveness.