New Delhi, Aug 12 (Inditop.com) The government Wednesday said it expected investments of Rs.5,000 crore and employment of nearly three lakh in the technical textiles sector by 2012.
“The segment has a potential to attract investments and create additional employment opportunities in the coming years,” Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran told reporters after launching a website — www.technotex.gov.in — that will meet the information needs of stakeholders.
Maran said the domestic market size of technical textiles is expected to grow at 11 percent per annum to reach Rs.66.414 crore by 2012.
Currently, it is valued at Rs.37,115 crore.
Technical textiles have also been brought under the ambit of the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme, the minister said.
Technical textiles represent a multi-disciplinary field with numerous applications in diversified fields such as medicine, aerospace sports, defence, agriculture and construction.
Medical slings, surgery gowns and diapers fall under the technical textiles category.
“Technical textiles are most profitable,” said Maran, adding that India annually imports Rs.4,000-crore worth of such textiles from China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Germany and Italy.
While stressing on the need to exploit its potential, Maran said: “My ministry has set up four centres of excellence for Agrotech textiles in Mumbai, Geotech textiles at Ahmedabad, Meditech textiles at Coimbatore, and Protech textiles at Ghaziabad.”
Meditech refers to technical textiles used by hygiene and medical facilities, Protech to personal protection items like fire retardant textiles, Agrotech relates to textiles for the agriculture sector and Geotech covers textile items used in geotechnical applications pertaining to soil and rock.
The minister also said the state-owned National Textile Corp (NTC) has identified land in Coimbatore for setting up a new technical textile unit.
