SUMMARY
- The government has granted ₹50 lakhs each to four startups in the technical textiles sector under the GREAT scheme.
- Five educational institutes, including NITs, will introduce new courses in technical textiles, supported by a ₹20 crore grant.
- India’s technical textiles market, currently the 5th largest globally, aims to grow to $40-50 billion by 2024 through focused initiatives.
The government has approved four startups in the field of technical textiles, granting each startup approximately ₹50 lakh under the ‘Grant for Research & Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT)’ scheme. This decision was announced during the 8th Empowered Programme Committee (EPC) meeting, chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Textiles, under the National Technical Textiles Mission at Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi.
The selected startups will focus on strategic areas such as Composites, Sustainable Textiles, and Smart Textiles, aiming to drive innovation and development within the sector. Technical textiles, which are engineered fabrics designed for specific functional properties rather than aesthetics, have various industrial applications including agriculture, construction, healthcare, and smart clothing.
Additionally, five educational institutes, including National Institutes of Technology (NITs), will receive grants totaling around ₹20 crores to introduce new courses related to technical textiles. These courses will cover areas such as geotextiles, geosynthetics, composites, and civil structures, aiming to build a skilled workforce to support the sector’s growth.
India’s technical textiles market ranks fifth globally and has been growing at a CAGR of 8-10% over the past five years. In 2021-22, the market size reached $21.95 billion, with $19.49 billion in domestic production and $2.46 billion in imports. The National Technical Textiles Mission aims to increase the domestic market size to $40-50 billion by 2024 through initiatives like market development, international collaboration, and the ‘Make in India’ campaign.
The sector gained significant attention during the Covid-19 crisis, as India rapidly expanded its production of PPE kits and masks, demonstrating its capability to innovate under pressure. In October last year, the Ministry of Textiles approved 23 strategic research projects worth around ₹60 crores, focusing on specialty fibers, sustainable textiles, geotextiles, mobiltech, and sports textiles.
