In the first recommendation of its kind, the textile ministry wants allocation of gas blocks to manmade fibre manufacturing and processing units, in line with that given to power companies.
The recommendation forms part of the cabinet note on the draft national fibre policy and have been given to the ministry of petroleum and natural gas for discussion. Officials said if this proposal goes through, it will be a major boost for the technical and synthetic textiles’ manufacturing petrochemical companies. The ministry has assigned top priority to development of technical textiles by also forming a technological mission, on the lines of conventional fibres like cotton and jute.
Explaining the proposal, officials said the priority gas blocks would be allocated to petrochemical companies engaged in manufacturing of synthetic and technical fibres. This will facilitate usage of gas-based power for their own (captive) consumption. “Even if it is allocated at a market-driven price, it will work out cheaper than naphtha or other raw material used by these companies,” they said.
Natural gas containing C2/C3 (chemical variants of carbon) is a feedstock for the petrochemical industry. The ministry of petroleum and natural gas has been regulating the allocation and pricing of gas.
The ministry is also in favour of extending the facility to foreign companies which would invest in India for manufacturing of technical and synthetic textiles. Indian companies which could benefit from the scheme are Haldia Petrochemicals, GAIL Ltd, Reliance Industries, SRF, Indo Rama Synthetics, Zenith Fibres, Century Rayon and Unifrax India.
Technical textiles are materials and products used for their technical performance and they differ from other manmade or synthetic fibres for using a very high grade of petrochemicals, so as to render high tenacity and high resistance to the fibre. While polyester, viscose, nylon and polypropylene account for 70 per cent of the total fibre used in technical textiles, speciality fibres of upgraded varieties comprise the other 30 per cent. These materials are mostly used in fire-retardant fabrics used in exhibition centres, cinema halls and other public halls, for fire-fighting personnel, geo-synthetics for infrastructure projects, usage in disposable medical products and defence apparel like bulletproof jackets.