In a major move to boost innovation in the technical textiles sector, the government approved grants of around Rs 50 lakhs each to four startups.
These approvals were made during the eighth meeting of the Empowered Programme Committee (EPC) under the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM).
The meeting was chaired by Secretary, Ministry of Textiles and took place at Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi.
The grants are part of the ‘Grants for Research and Entrepreneurship among Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT)’ programme, which aims to foster entrepreneurship and research in this specialised field.
Four areas of focus
The selected startups will work on projects in key strategic areas of technical textiles, including composites, sustainable textiles and smart textiles.
These areas are critical as they involve innovative materials that are designed for their functional properties rather than aesthetic purposes.
For example, composites are used in high-performance applications, sustainable textiles focus on environmental impact, and smart textiles integrate technology into fabrics, making them suitable for wearable devices and other advanced applications.
New courses in technical textiles
Apart from supporting startups, the government also approved a grant of around Rs 20 crore to five educational institutions.
These funds will be used to introduce new B.Tech courses focusing on various fields within technical textiles such as geotextiles, geosynthetics, composites and civil structures.
The goal is to create a skilled workforce that can contribute to the growing technical textiles industry.
The inclusion of these courses in the curriculum is seen as a strategic move to align education with industry needs, ensuring that the next generation of engineers is well versed in the applications of technical textiles.
National Mission for Technical Textiles
The grants are part of the National Technical Textiles Mission, which aims to expand India’s technical textiles market. The market is currently the fifth largest in the world and has been growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8-10% for the past five years.
The mission aims to accelerate this growth to 15-20% annually, with the goal of increasing the domestic market size to $40-50 billion by 2024. The mission’s objectives include market development, international collaborations and boosting the “Make in India” initiative, which emphasizes domestic production.
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