Business

Textile Ministry Clears 23 Strategic Projects Worth Rs 60 Crore

Among the 23 research projects, 12 projects of speciality fibres having application areas in agriculture, smart textiles, healthcare, strategic application and protective gears were cleared. The Ministry of Textiles, under Union minister Piyush Goyal, cleared 23 strategic research projects worth Rs 60 crore in areas of specialty fibres and geotextiles, the ministry said in a statement. As per the ministry, these strategic research projects fall under the flagship programme ‘National Technical Textiles Mission.’ Among the 23 research projects, 12 projects of speciality fibres having application areas in agriculture, smart textiles, healthcare, strategic application and protective gears were cleared. Four projects from sustainable textiles having application area in agriculture and healthcare sector were cleared. Also, five projects from geotextile, one from mobiltech and one from sportech were cleared, said the ministry. According to the ministry, Member NITI Aayog (Science & Tech) & Principle Scientific Advisor (PSA) provided inputs pertaining to technical textiles for the meeting along with line ministries. Various leading Indian institutes including IITs, government organisations, and eminent industrialists, among others participated in the session which cleared projects strategic for the development of Indian economy and a step in the direction of Atmanirbhar Bharat, especially in the healthcare, industrial and protective, energy storage, agriculture and infrastructure. While addressing scientists and technologists, Goyal said, “Industry and academia connect is essential for the growth of research and development in the application areas of technical textiles in India. Building convergence with academicians, scientists and researchers is the need of the hour." Goyal also highlighted that the focus should be on the internationally high value-added products and building a structure of brainstorming around problem statements. In addition, inter-ministerial synergy is required for attracting mega research projects in the country. The minister emphasised on the importance of contributions of technology and segment experts, scientists and academicians to India’s technical textiles future growth. Goyal highlighted that the technological gap in the country needs to be addressed in the field of technical textiles. Identification of the area of research in technical textiles with industry interaction and promotional activities like conferences, exhibition, and buyer-seller meet to promote the use of technical textile in the country and to increase the exports to be the key focus areas. Meanwhile, the government has indicated that it may relax two of the most critical criteria when it launches the second production-linked incentive (PLI 2.0) scheme for the labour-intensive textiles and garment sector, acceding to industry requests. It could allow cotton-based players to take advantage of the scheme, and drastically reduce the turnover and investment limits to enable even medium enterprises to set up units under it, it is learnt.