By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, JAN 28, 2023: THE Ministry of Textiles cleared 15 R&D projects worth around INR 32.25 crores across key strategic areas such as Speciality fibre, Protective textiles, High-Performance Textiles, Geotextiles, Medical Textiles, Sustainable Textiles, and Textiles for Building Materials during the 5th Mission Steering Group (MSG) meeting held under the chairmanship of Piyush Goyal, Hon'ble Union Minister of Textiles, Commerce and Industry and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution here yesterday.

Among these 15 R&D projects, 7 Projects of Speciality Fibres, 2 from protective Textiles, 2 from High Performance Textiles, 1 from Geotextiles, 1 from Medical Textiles, 1 from Sustainable Textile, 1 from Textiles for Building Materials was approved.

While addressing the 5th Mission Steering Group 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 NTTM.

Robust outreach exercise is required to attract R&D Proposals in Machinery and Equipment across major textile machinery manufacturing hubs in India. Inter-Ministerial collaboration is required to document and utilize 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 utilization of NTTM Scheme across India, added Hon'ble Minister.

Encouraging young engineering minds to pursue technical textiles in India is the need of the hour. A broad guideline under Start-up scheme was discussed and may be finalized 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 Government, Industry and Academia, including commercialization of the developed machines. The General Guidelines for indigenous development of machines and equipment in the application areas of technical textiles under NTTM is a strong-foot forward and needs to be utilized the industry at its fullest, he further emphasised.

Hon'ble 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.

Hon'ble 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 TRAs, Premier Institutes and Industry Associations; Development of new BIS standards; Enact new Quality Control Orders (QCOs); Rationalization of HSN Codes; Mandation of technical textiles' items across Line Ministries and Departments; and Identification of specialized skill requirements in the sector.

The meeting comprises of Senior Officials from the Government including NITI Aayog, Office of Principal Scientific Advisor, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Department of Expenditure, Department of Defence, Ministry of MSME, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, DPIIT, and members from other Ministries, and eminent members from the industry.