20 Percent Annual Growth Expected In Technical Textile Industry.

Technical Textiles, as you may already know are nothing but the textile products
manufactured for purposes other than aesthetic. These include the textiles required for
application in automotive, medical textiles, agro-textiles, as well as those required for
making protective clothing, such as spacesuits, bulletproof vests, or that worn by the firefighters and welders etc. Technical textiles also include materials and products used for
their technical performance and functional properties such as tyre cords, airbags, industrial
textiles, furniture lining, tents, parachutes etc.
According to a recent government announcement the technical textile sector in India, is
expected to witness an annual growth at the rate of 20 percent. Given the fact that the
textile sector, generates the highest employment in the country, next only to the
agricultural sector; the high-priority accorded to it by the government is only justified. This
announcement simply puts forth the fact that the government is looking forward to
reinforcing the standing of the textile industry in the economy, thereby accentuating the
potential for increasing the production as well as the exports related to the sector!
Under the current financial year the market size of Technical Textiles is approximately
Rs.1,09,659crores, which is expected to grow by 48,881 crores to touch a total of a
whopping Rs.1,58,540 crores, by the year 2016-2017.
Another announcement coming from the Textile Commissioner Kiran Soni, indicated the
creation of 8 centres of excellence in order to offer high-end facilities such as world-class
testing, prototype development, incubation as well as training so as to become a one-stop
destination for all needs of the technical textiles industry. In addition to this, a few schemes
pertaining to the strengthening of this sub-industry have been announced which include,

the restructured Technology Up gradation Funds Scheme, along with schemes for
strengthening the database as well as the standards for the technical textiles, and that for
promoting the usage of agro-textiles in the north-eastern region of the nation.
There are close to eight-hundred and fifty technical textile units which have been registered
under the Technology Up gradation Funds Scheme with a large majority of them being
located in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Moreover, the government has announced the setting up of integrated textiles parks, and
has promised an assistance of upto Rs.40 crore is for creating the requisite infrastructure.
That being done, the need of the hour is to encourage and promote the awareness with
respect to the superior functionality of technical textiles in an attempt to promote higher
consumption of these. Especially, when it is known that a large number of industries are in
constant need of the technical textiles, including automotive, healthcare, infrastructure, oil
and petroleum, among others.