Centre okays 15 research projects worth Rs 32 cr in speciality, high-performance textiles areas

New Delhi [India], January 28 (ANI): The ministry of textiles has cleared 15 research and development projects worth Rs 32.25 crore across key strategic areas such as speciality fibres, protective textiles, high-performance textiles, geotextiles, medical textiles, sustainable textiles, and textiles for building materials.

An official statement from the ministry of textiles said among these 15 R and D projects, seven projects were of speciality fibres, two from protective textiles, two from high-performance textiles, one from geotextiles, one from medical textiles, one from sustainable textile, one from textiles for building materials was approved.

The clearance was announced during the 5th Mission Steering Group (MSG) meeting held under the chairmanship of Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Textiles, Commerce and Industry and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, held on Friday evening in New Delhi, according to a statement from the ministry of textiles.

During the meeting, Piyush Goyal said that leading textile manufacturers and institutes should come together to indigenously develop strategic and high-value technical textile products, with the support of the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM).

The minister said, “Robust outreach exercise is required to attract R and D proposals in machinery and equipment across major textile machinery manufacturing hubs in India. Inter-ministerial collaboration is required to document and utilise existing and updated technologies for wider usage in the nation-building process, especially in the areas of sustainable technical textiles.”

Existing beneficiaries of NTTM such as premier institutes and research bodies need to connect with other institutes for wider awareness, benefits and optimal utilisation of NTTM Scheme across India, the minister added.

The minister said encouraging young engineering minds to pursue technical textiles in India is the need of the hour. “A broad guideline under startup scheme was discussed and may be finalised on priority targeting aspiring innovators, entrepreneurs and young scientists.”

“Technical textile machinery and equipment development has been a major challenge which needs collaborative interventions from the government, industry and academia, including commercialisation of the developed machines,” the minister said.

The minister of textiles urged the premier public and private academic and engineering institutes and industries to apply under the education and internship guidelines already launched under National technical textiles mission on priority basis.

The minister also reviewed the progress of previously sanctioned R&D projects under NTTM during the meeting. In addition, the way forward and action plan for propelling India’s technical textiles sector was discussed and recommended including Wider Field-level Outreach Programmes for Research in Fundamental, applied, and machine development across Textile Research Associations (TRAs), premier institutes and Industry Associations, among others.