Govt Approves Rs 13.3 Crore Research Projects For Technical Textiles Sector
Updated: Nov 13, 2024 05:04:42pm
Govt Approves Rs 13.3 Crore Research Projects For Technical Textiles Sector
New Delhi, Nov 13 (KNN) In a significant move to enhance India's technical textiles capabilities, the government approved 12 new research projects worth Rs 13.3 crore under the National Technical Textiles Mission on Tuesday.
The approval came during the 10th Mission Steering Group meeting chaired by Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh.
The newly approved projects focus on strategic areas including geotextiles, sustainable textiles, smart textiles, and composites. Leading research institutions, including IITs, NITs, and the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), will spearhead these initiatives.
With this addition, the Mission now oversees 168 research projects with a cumulative value of approximately Rs 509 crore.
The National Technical Textiles Mission, a flagship program of the Ministry of Textiles, aims to strengthen domestic research and development capabilities, particularly in high-performance fibre development.
Industry projections suggest the Indian textiles sector could reach USD 350 billion by 2030, potentially creating 4.5-6 crore jobs.
Minister Singh has outlined ambitious targets for the sector, including achieving 50,000 metric tonnes of silk production and generating 1 crore jobs by 2030.
He emphasised the crucial link between silk cultivation and farmer employment, highlighting the sector's socioeconomic importance.
The technical textiles segment shows particular promise, with the global market valued at approximately USD 300 billion.
While India's current domestic market stands at USD 25 billion with exports of USD 2.6 billion, the government has set an ambitious export target of USD 10 billion by 2030.
In a parallel development, the ministry has approved 11 start-up proposals under the Grant for Research and Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT) initiative.
This program offers support of up to Rs 50 lakh per start-up, demonstrating the government's commitment to fostering innovation in the technical textiles sector.
(KNN Bureau)