Mr. Rajeev Saxena, the Joint Secretary of Textiles, conducted a press conference to unveil significant updates regarding the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM). He shared that the Ministry of Textiles has approved the Startup Guidelines for Technical Textiles – Grant for Research and Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT). This initiative extends grant-in-aid support of up to Rs. 50 lakh (US$ 60,533) for a maximum period of 18 months.
The newly introduced guidelines are aimed at facilitating the transition of prototypes into innovative products, encompassing commercialization. A specific focus is directed towards fostering a Startup Ecosystem in Technical Textiles.
The GREAT Guidelines underscore the development of technical textiles across various application areas. These include agrotextiles, building textiles, geotextiles, home textiles, medical textiles, mobile textiles, packaging textiles, protective textiles, sports textiles, and smart textiles integrating technologies like artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, 3D/4D printing, and rapid prototyping. Indigenous textile development is also emphasized.
The Ministry plans to provide an additional 10% of the grant-in-aid to incubators as incentives. To ensure authenticity and commitment, an incubatee is required to invest a minimum of 10% of the funding in two equal instalments. The Startup Guidelines (GREAT) are expected to provide a significant boost to the technical textiles startup ecosystem in India, especially in specialized areas like biodegradable and sustainable textiles, high-performance & specialty fibers, and smart textiles.
Within this context, the Ministry has granted approval to 26 institutes for upgrading their laboratory facilities and training instructors in technical textiles’ application. Additionally, applications from 26 institutions to introduce technical textile courses and papers in important departments/specializations, as well as launch new degree programs in technical textiles, have been authorized.
Private institutes have also been given the nod for a total of 15 applications amounting to Rs. 105.55 crore (US$ 12.8 million) and 11 applications totaling Rs. 45.47 crore (US$ 5.5 million), summing up to Rs. 151.02 crore (US$ 18.3 million).
Esteemed institutions like IIT Delhi, NIT Jalandhar, NIT Durgapur, NIT Karnataka, NIFT Mumbai, ICT Mumbai, Anna University, PSG College of Technology, and Amity University will receive funding through this program.
Notably, a significant portion of the funding is allocated for upgrading existing courses in areas such as Textile Technology & Fiber Sciences, Design/Civil Engineering, and Fashion Technology/Design, all geared towards advancing various application domains of technical textiles.
Furthermore, the Ministry is set to revise the Guidelines for Authorizing Academic Institutes in Technical Textiles’ Education in India (Round II) under NTTM, with broader criteria including specific scores and rankings. These guidelines aim to incorporate new courses and papers into the curriculum by 2025-26 and have been preliminarily approved.
Addressing quality and regulation, the Ministry has issued 02 Quality Control Orders (QCOs) for 31 technical textile goods, including protective textiles and geotextiles, set to take effect on October 7, 2023. Additionally, 28 QCOs encompassing agrotextiles and medical textiles are in the final stages of issuance and are expected to be released in September 2023. The Ministry is also considering 28 more categories for QCOs, encompassing areas like building textiles and industrial textiles.
