Technical textiles, a burgeoning field in the textile industry, are functional fabrics that find applications across various sectors. These include the automotive, civil engineering, construction, agriculture, healthcare, industrial safety, and personal protection sectors, amongst others. The increasing demand for these textiles is driven by the development and industrialization of countries.
These textiles are further divided into twelve subsegments, Agrotech, Meditech, Buildtech, Mobiltech, Clothtech, Oekotech, Geotech, Packtech, Hometech, Protech, Indutech and Sportech, each serving specific purposes. For instance, ‘Mobiltech’ encompasses vehicle-related products like seat belts, airbags, and airplane seats.
The National Technical Textiles Mission
In 2020, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the National Technical Textiles Mission, which aims to establish India as a global leader in technical textiles. The mission also strives to increase the domestic market size from USD 40 billion to USD 50 billion by 2024.
A Mission Directorate under the Ministry of Textiles is responsible for carrying out the operations. The mission will run for four years (2020-2021), with a budget of Rs. 1,000 crores dedicated to four essential components.
Four Components of the Mission
The first component focuses on research, innovation, and development at both fibre level and application-based in various segments, including geo, agro, medical, sports, mobile textiles, and biodegradable technical textiles.
The second component aims to promote and develop the technical textiles market.
The third component plans to enhance export so that technical textile exports from India reach from Rs 14,000 crores to Rs 20,000 crores by 2021-2022. This effort includes establishing an export promotion council for technical textiles.
The fourth component emphasizes education, training, and skill development. Specific attention will be given to promoting technical education at higher levels in correlation with technical textiles and their application areas.
The Current Scenario
India’s technical textiles industry has been growing steadily, currently at an 8% annual rate. The target is to accelerate this growth to a 15-20% range over the next five years.
Globally, the market is estimated to be worth USD 250 billion, and India’s share stands at approximately USD 19 billion. With USD 40 billion in investment, the country holds an 8% share in the market. The significant players include the USA, Western Europe, China and Japan.
Recent Initiatives related to Technical Textiles
Several initiatives have been implemented to boost the technical textiles sector in India. These include the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, which encourages the production of high-value Man-Made Fiber (MMF) fabrics, garments, and technical textiles.
The Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) Codes for Technical Textile was proposed by the government in 2019 to monitor import-export data and provide financial aid to manufacturers.
The government also allows 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) through the automatic route, thus attracting foreign technical textile manufacturers like Ahlstrom, Johnson & Johnson to set up operations in India.
To bolster the industry, the Ministry of Textiles organizes Technotex India, a premier event comprising exhibitions, conferences, and seminars for stakeholders from across the global technical textile value chain.
Lastly, the Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme aims to improve exports and indirectly promote investments in textile machinery.
