Industry-driven research key to advancing technical textiles sector
India’s technical textiles sector is on the verge of substantial growth, positioning itself as a global leader in the field. Currently ranked as the fifth largest technical textiles market worldwide, it is valued at approximately $20 billion and is expanding at an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10-12 per cent. This growth is fuelled by an increasing demand across diverse industries, which rely on technical textiles for specialised solutions.
Currently valued at $19.49 billion in production, technical textiles is also seeing robust export growth (exports of technical textiles grew by 28.4 per cent, from $2.21 billion in 2020-21 to $2.85 billion in 2021-22), highlighting the sector’s expanding global footprint.
The Government’s recognition of the sector’s vast potential has led to strategic initiatives, such as the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), aimed at accelerating growth, market development, and investment in the sector.
With projections indicating that India’s technical textiles market will reach an extraordinary $309 billion by 2047, the outlook is nothing short of optimistic.
The broad range of applications for technical textiles in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure, automotive, aerospace, sports, and packaging significantly contribute to the market’s potential. These advanced materials play a crucial role in enhancing safety, performance, and efficiency. From medical fabrics and protective gear to high-performance aerospace and automotive materials, technical textiles are integral in solving complex challenges across industries.
However, the penetration of technical textiles within India remains relatively low, reportedly ranging from 5-10 per cent across various applications, compared to the global average of 30-70 per cent. This suggests a significant untapped potential, which, when realised, could propel India to a more dominant position in the global technical textiles market.
In light of the promising outlook, Fibre2Fashion met with Ashok Malhotra, the MD of the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), for an in-depth conversation about the current state of the technical textiles sector, its future potential and challenges, and strategies needed to ensure growth.
India is projected to become the third-largest technical textile market by 2047. What specific strategies is NTTM focusing on to achieve this growth in terms of market size and industrial readiness?
To achieve this, we need to build a complete ecosystem for technical textiles. This includes manufacturing, research, machines development, skill development, and embed technical textiles into educational institute’s curriculum.
We are working on developing a skilled labour force and facilitating connections between educational institutes and the industry for practical training. Once this ecosystem is fully developed, it will help take India to the next level. Additionally, we are focusing on research in strategic areas where technologies are not readily available to us from other countries, and we are developing our own processes.
Currently, there are 168 projects across India worth around ₹510 crore, involving textile research associations, IITs, NITs, and other reputed institutes. These projects are being regularly reviewed, and while research takes time, we have already transferred some projects for commercialisation to industry.
As the research projects mature, more will be transferred to the industry and protected under the IPR guidelines.
Considering the export potential, how is NTTM working with bodies like the Export Promotion Councils to facilitate further export growth?
We are primarily supporting the Manmade and Technical Textiles Export Promotion Council (MATEXIL), the agency responsible for promoting exports, especially in technical textiles. We have assisted them financially, and they are working on providing data and offering handholding support to the industry for export.
MATEXIL also helps with the specifications required by other countries. In parallel, we are conducting international conferences, inviting experts from reputed institutes and industries, and hosting knowledge-sharing sessions.
Additionally, events like Bharat Tex also provide a great platform for global connections, where international representatives connect with the Principal Investigators (PIs) working on research parallelly with the industry. Such collaborations hold a lot of promise and will boost the industry and exports significantly.
Can you share a few growth areas in technical textiles, with the future in perspective?
Some of the promising growth sectors in technical textiles are Geotextiles, Meditech (Textiles in healthcare), Mobiltech (Air bags and other automotive products) and Packtech (Speciality textiles used for packaging and transportation). India is already much ahead in Packtech thanks to the nature-based solutions like jute, ramie and hemp.
Due to sustainability concerns there is a marked shift from synthetic to nature-based solutions, which gives India a competitive edge.
In addition to that, we are focusing on defence, particularly in protective textiles, which are of strategic importance. We have established centres of excellence for various sectors to streamline research, testing, prototyping and certification.
How crucial is industry-driven research for advancement of technical textiles in India?
It is very crucial; research is often happening in academic labs, but industry-driven research is still lacking. Industry players need to invest in their own R&D labs to work on problems specific to their processes and needs. If industry partners get directly involved in the research process, they will provide valuable insights, and it would ensure the research addresses real-world problems. The challenge in India is that the industry has not been spending much on R&D, which hampers progress. We need more industry engagement in research to take technical textiles to the next level.
Can you elaborate on the centres of excellence that NTTM has set up for different sectors within technical textiles?
Yes, we have set up several centres of excellence; for example, we have the South India Textile Research Association (SITRA) as a centre for medical textiles, where all testing and certifications related to medical textiles are conducted.
For geotextiles, we have BTRA (the Bombay Textile Research Association), where all facilities for geotextiles testing are available.
For agrotextiles, we have SASMIRA (SASMIRA leads groundbreaking research projects sponsored by the Ministry of Textiles and other industry agencies), and for Indu-Tech, PSG College in Coimbatore is responsible.
The Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA) in Ghaziabad takes care of both protective textiles and sports tech.
Additionally, for composites and carbon fibre testing, we have entrusted ATIRA (Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association) with that responsibility.
So how are these centres of excellence contributing towards the growth of technical textiles?
These centres are playing a very vital role by providing the necessary infrastructure for research, testing, and certification. Each centre is dedicated to a specific sector, allowing for specialised research and the development of innovative solutions. They help ensure that products meet international standards and make it easier for the industry to scale up, both in terms of production and exports.
By consolidating expertise and resources in these centres, we are accelerating the development of high-quality technical textiles and positioning India as a global leader in this field.
There are apparently some challenges pertaining to standardization. How is NTTM working towards ensuring Indian technical textiles meet the global standards?
Yes, standardisation is a major issue, and we are actively working on ensuring that Indian technical textiles are at par with the global requirements. We are mapping Indian products to international specifications. The goal is not just to produce textiles for the Indian market but for the global market. We aim to develop products that meet global specifications, ensuring they are accepted worldwide, not only in India or for export but as globally competitive products.
One such example is the development of aircraft upholstery. Until recently, India did not produce such type of fabric or not had the necessary testing facilities. We identified the global standards for aircraft upholstery, called stakeholders meeting with representatives from the aviation industry and regulatory bodies, and proposed setting up a testing facility in India, which will certify upholstery fabrics for aircraft use.
Now, the industry is ready to adopt this, and upholstery tested and certified in India will be used in Indian aviation industry. This will help us align with the global standards and make India a key player in this sector.
Further, we have identified that some Indian testing facilities were not equipped to handle certain global requirements. To address this, we are funding the necessary equipment to ensure Indian labs and testing facilities are on par with global levels.
Once these facilities are upgraded, Indian certifications will be recognised and accepted by the global aviation industry, allowing us to produce textiles that meet international quality benchmarks.
Technical textiles hold a lot of potential, but what do you think are the biggest challenges, and how can we address those?
The biggest challenge, I would say, is building the ecosystem. Everyone wants trained labour and engineers.
To address this issue, we have developed a model where we first create the process and product in the labs. Then, we work with the industry to test and develop prototypes, ensuring they are ready for commercialisation.
In fact, every project at NTTM now has an industry partner involved, which ensures that researchers are solving real industry problems while the industry partners, on their part, provide access to materials and specific requirements, making the research more practical. When the research is completed, the industry partner is already involved and ready to commercialise the product. This approach ensures that both sides are aligned and working towards the same goal.
Such collaboration allows the researcher to understand the industry’s needs and create solutions based on real-world challenges.
If a researcher needs a specific material for their research, the industry partner provides it and as the research progresses, the industry partner gives feedback on product specifications like strength, durability, tenacity etc.
Both the researcher and the industry partner review the project together at each and every stage. This way, the product is developed with a clear understanding of the industry requirements, and once the research is complete, the industry partner is ready to adopt and commercialise the product.
There is a lot of focus on sustainability when it comes to the textile industry in general. What efforts are being made to ensure circularity and sustainability in technical textiles?
When it comes to sustainable products, India has a significant advantage in terms of natural fibres like jute, ramie, milkweed, and sisal, which are inherently sustainable. These fibres are biodegradable, so we do not need to build circularity from the scratch.
We are focusing on developing technical textiles based on these natural fibres. We have sanctioned projects that explore the use of natural fibres in technical textiles, and we have already held conferences to bring together ideas and innovations in this area.
Additionally, we are collaborating with international organisations to develop products that use nature-based solutions. Once these products are developed, they will already have circularity incorporated by default.
Thus, sustainability is deeply embedded in the way we approach technical textiles at NTTM.
Given the vast potentials of technical textiles, what is the Government doing to popularise it with reference to SMEs/startups?
The Government has established the ‘Start-up’ platform to support entrepreneurs with funding of up to ₹50 lakh. Applicants are required to contribute only ₹5 lakh, a minimal investment.
This is a non-returnable grant designed to encourage entrepreneurship. Beneficiaries can advance existing research or commercialise their own innovations in technical textiles, including machinery, materials, and chemicals.
Funding is disbursed in three stages over approximately 18 months, contingent on milestone achievements:
- 40 per cent at the first stage
- 40 per cent at the second stage
- 20 per cent at the final stage
Additionally, we provide comprehensive support, linking entrepreneurs with incubation centres equipped with testing and pilot trial facilities. While incubation typically involves costs, the Government covers these expenses, ensuring entrepreneurs receive the necessary resources for product trials and development.
What criteria do you use to select startups for funding?
As per the NTTM Start-up Guidelines, we follow a clear set of eligibility criteria:
- The project must fall under one of the 12 identified categories of technical textiles.
- The entrepreneur must be at least 21 years old and hold a graduate degree.
- The start-up must demonstrate originality and innovation—it should not be a mere extension of an existing business but a genuinely new venture in technical textiles.
Recent trends indicate a surge in start-ups led by PhD graduates and IIT alumni, reflecting a growing inclination towards entrepreneurship over traditional employment.
To date, we have successfully funded 17 start-ups, with many more under evaluation.
Beyond NTTM, entrepreneurs in technical textiles can also leverage other Government initiatives, such as:
- PM MITRA (Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel Parks) – for large-scale textile manufacturing and infrastructure development.
- Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme – offering financial incentives for scaling up domestic textile production.
While these schemes extend beyond technical textiles, they provide substantial support for larger-scale operations in the textile sector.
Which market currently holds more potential for technical textiles—the domestic or the export market?
The domestic market for technical textiles in India presents significant opportunities, driven by the country’s large population and rising demand across various sectors. Agrotextiles, for example, are gaining traction among farmers as awareness and adoption continue to grow.
While export potential exists, particularly in segments like geotextiles and industrial textiles, our primary focus remains on developing products for the domestic market. Notably, these products align with global standards, enabling seamless export opportunities without additional modifications.
How do you foresee the future of technical textiles in India?
The future of technical textiles in India is highly promising, with expanding applications across key sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and geotextiles. Notably, India has transitioned from being an importer to a net exporter of products like sanitary napkins and diapers, reflecting the industry’s rapid growth.
Going forward, the primary focus should be on strengthening the domestic market, which holds the greatest potential for expansion. Simultaneously, export opportunities in specialised sub-sectors will continue to grow, positioning India as a key player in the global technical textiles industry.
On a parting note, what would you like to share with our readers?
I want to emphasise that one of the major gaps that remains in the technical textiles sector is the disconnect between academia and industry. While significant research is being conducted in laboratories, greater industry involvement is needed to translate these innovations into practical solutions.
Stronger collaboration between industry and research institutions will accelerate innovation and commercialisation, ensuring that developments address real-world challenges. Industry-driven research is crucial for advancing India’s technical textiles sector and fostering long-term growth.
