About Technical Textiles
Technical Textiles is an advanced technology backed sunrise sector which is steadily gaining ground in India. Technical textiles are functional fabrics that have applications across various industries including automobiles, civil engineering and construction, agriculture, healthcare, industrial safety, personal protection etc. Technical Textiles are futuristic and niche segment of textiles, which are used for various applications ranging from agriculture, roads, railway tracks, sportswear, health on one end to bullet proof jacket, fireproof jackets, high altitude combat gear and space applications on another end of spectrum. Technical textiles are textiles materials and products manufactured primarily for technical performance and functional properties rather than aesthetic characteristics.
About the Mission (NTTM), National Technical Textile Mission
With a view to position the country as a global leader in Technical Textiles, National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) has been approved with a four-year implementation period from FY 2020-21 to 2023-24.
The Mission will have four components:
- Component -I (Research, Innovation and Development) - The fundamental research activities will be based on ‘pooled resource’ method and will be conducted in various Centre for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) laboratories, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and other scientific/ industrial/ academic laboratories of repute. Application based research will be conducted in CSIR, IIT, Research Design & Standards Organization (RDSO) of Indian Railways, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO), National Aeronautical Laboratory (NAL), Indian Road Research Institute (IRRI) and other such reputed laboratories, as approved by the Mission Steering Group.
- Component –II (Promotion and Market Development) - The penetration level of technical textiles is low in India. The Mission will aim at increasing average growth rate through market development, market promotion, international technical collaborations, investment promotions and ‘Make in India’ initiatives.
- Component – III (Export Promotion) - The component aims at export promotion of technical textiles. An Export Promotion Council for Technical Textiles will be set up for effective coordination and promotion activities in the segment.
- Component- IV (Education, Training, Skill Development) - Education, skill development and adequacy of human resources in the country is not adequate to meet the technologically challenging and fast-growing technical textiles segment. The Mission will promote technical education at higher engineering and technology levels related to technical textiles and its application areas covering engineering, medical, agriculture, aquaculture, and dairy segments. Skill development will be promoted, and adequate pool of highly skilled manpower resources will be created for meeting the need of relatively sophisticated technical textiles manufacturing units.