Technical textiles is a rapidly growing sector in India, with huge potential for growth in the coming years. The sector is defined by the development of unique textile fabrics and yarns that can be used for a variety of purposes in almost all types of industries.
These textiles are different from traditional textiles in that they are designed to meet specific functional requirements, such as high strength, durability, chemical resistance, and fire retardancy. The end-use of technical textile goods caters to a diverse range of sectors, presenting a plethora of prospects as a high-value sector in India, including agriculture, automotive, construction, healthcare, home and furnishings, industrial, protective clothing, and sports and leisure.
After growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8–10% over the previous five years, the Indian technical textile industry is expected to reach US$ 21.95 billion in 2021–2022, ranking fifth in the world. Technical textile output brought in US$ 19.49 billion, while imports brought in US$ 2.46 billion.
About 15% of India's total textile and apparel business is made up of the technical textiles sector, which is important in terms of investment and jobs.
It contributes to India's GDP at 0.7%.
Despite the significant strides, technical textile consumption in India stands at a mere 5–10% compared to the 30–70% consumption rates in advanced nations. It reveals immense potential to close the gaping chasm in demand.
To capitalize on this untapped potential, the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) has set an ambitious domestic market growth rate target of 15-20%. It envisions a future where the industry blossoms into a behemoth, with a market size reaching the awe-inspiring range of $40–50 billion by the year 2024. The story of India's technical textile industry is nothing short of a captivating adventure, and the best is yet to come.
The Indian technical textile market can be segmented into the following key categories:
The Indian technical textile industry is dominated by a few large players, such as:
In addition to these, there are some other top technical textile companies in India, such as Alok Industries, Kusumgar Corporates, SRF Limited, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, Techfab India Industries Ltd, and Welspun India Ltd.
Despite its strong growth potential, the Indian technical textile industry faces several challenges, including:
The Indian Government's National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) aims to position India as a global leader in technical textiles. Its components include research, innovation, promotion, and export support to boost the textile sector; a ₹10,683 crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme has been approved, focusing on MMF apparel, MMF fabrics, and technical textiles. ₹1,000 crore is allocated for advanced research in 94 technical textile categories, with research proposals sought.
Government organizations will now use 92 technical textile items across industries, stimulating domestic demand. Over 500 Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) guidelines for technical textiles have been established, with 50 more in development.
Several schemes, like A-TUFS, Power-Tex, SITP, and SAMARTH2, are actively promoting the textile industry.
In conclusion, the initiatives taken by the Indian government to promote the growth of the technical textiles industry are expected to have a positive impact on employment and textile businesses in India. These initiatives are expected to create additional jobs, businesses, and skilling opportunities in the textile sector, boost the growth of textile businesses, and increase the competitiveness of the Indian textile industry in the global market.
This industry is the leader of many new applications embracing practically all aspects of life, with enormous potential for increasing productivity, efficiency, and cost economics and delivering new approaches to many engineering and general applications.
Despite the challenges faced by the industry, such as skill gaps, quality control, and global competition, the Indian technical textile industry holds immense potential for innovation and expansion. It is poised to contribute significantly to the growth of the Indian economy.