The annual growth rate of the technical textiles sector in the country should be in the 15%-20% range in the next five years, from the current 8%, said Union Minister of Textiles, Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal.
Important Highlights:
- It is time to target a five times’ increase in export of technical textiles in three years.
- The world market for technical textiles is $250 billion and India’s share is $19 billion.
- The biggest players are the U.S., West European countries, China and Japan.
- In January 2019, the government issued 207 Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN Codes) for technical textiles and in less than two years, India had become a net exporter of technical textiles.
- It also unveiled the National Technical Textiles Mission in February last year. In FY21, India’s major share of technical textile exports was in PPEs, N-95 and surgical masks, and fabric for PPEs and masks.
National Technical Textiles Mission
- Creation of National Technical Textiles Mission for a period of 4 years (2020-21 to 2023-24) with an outlay of Rs.1480 crores. The distribution of funds is (i) For Research Innovation & Development – Rs. 1000 crores, (ii) For Promotion and Market Development- Rs.50 crore, (iii) For Education, Training and Skilling- Rs. 400 crore, and (iv) For Export Promotion – Rs.10 crores and balance Rs.20 crores for administrative expenses.
- The focus of the Mission is for developing on usage of technical textiles in various flagship missions, programmes of the country including strategic sectors. The use of technical textiles in agriculture, aquaculture, dairy, poultry, etc. Jal Jivan Mission; Swachch Bharat Mission; Ayushman Bharat will bring an overall improvement in cost economy, water and soil conservation, better agricultural productivity and higher income to farmers per acre of land holding in addition to promotion of manufacturing and exports activities in India. The use of geo-textiles in highways, railways and ports will result in robust infrastructure, reduced maintenance cost and higher life cycle of the infrastructure assets.
- Promotion of innovation amongst young engineering /technology/ science standards and graduates is proposed to be taken up by the Mission; alongwith creation of innovation and incubation centres and promotion of ‘start-up’ and Ventures’. The research output will be reposited with a ‘Trust’with the Government for easy and assessable proliferation of the knowledge thus gained through research innovation and development activities.
- A sub-component of the research will focus on development of bio degradable technical textiles materials, particularly for agro-textiles, geo-textiles and medical textiles. It will also develop suitable equipment for environmentally sustainable disposal of used technical textiles, with emphasis on safe disposal of medical and hygiene wastes.