Centre seeks more focus on technical textiles

The technical textile sector offers huge potential for growth and the business community would do well to exploit the potential, according to the central textiles commissioner J N Singh.

He was in Surat to attend a seminar on 'Technical Textiles "� Products & Opportunities', organised jointly by the Regional Office of Textile Commissioner, Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Powerloom Development & Export Promotion Council on Thursday.

Technical textiles were used for manufacturing seat belts, airbags, helmets, surgical dressings, artificial joints, heart valves, soft luggage products, fishing nets, interlinings, furnishing and decorative fabrics, among others.

"The Indian industry has concentrated only on traditional textiles, and even though technical textiles offer much higher potential for growth, it has remained neglected," Singh said talking to media-persons.

The consumption of technical textiles in USA and Europe was 23 per cent and 22 per cent respectively, while in India it was three per cent.

Technical textiles accounted for 53 per cent of the total textile production in USA, while in India it was 10 per cent.

The technical textiles segment in the world was expected to grow at the rate of just over three per cent in the next five years, while in India the growth rate was expected to be 11 per cent.

The indigenous production of technical textiles was limited and scattered, and the demand, mainly for defence and police forces, was met through imports.

The consumption of technical textiles within the country would go up tremendously in the coming years, and hence there was a large untapped potential in the technical textiles segment for potential investors, he said.

"We see Gujarat and Surat emerging as major centres for production of technical textiles," he added.

The major advantage of the technical textiles is that some of the products could be produced by minor alternation in the existing production setup.

Most of the fibre and yarn required for technical textiles were produced indigenously, while the specialty ones could be imported.

The commissioner spoke about the various recommendations made by the Expert Committee on Technical Textiles (ECTT), which was appointed by the Textile Ministry to conduct an in-depth study of the segment.

The Committee recommended concessional rate of five per cent customs duty on specified technical textiles machinery and on specified high performance fibres and yarns.

It proposed withdrawal of import duty exemption on sanitary napkins and baby diapers, and setting up centres of excellence with facilities for testing and evaluation of technical textiles, facilities for indigenous development of prototypes, among others, Singh informed.

The Committee proposed strategies for enhancing the demand for technical textiles.

The Committee proposed making mandatory the use of geotextiles in construction of roads.

Another proposal was to make mandatory the use of fire retardant textiles in all public places.

The Committee proposed making the use of helmets compulsory and installation of airbags in all new cars, and the use of technical textiles in all land-fill projects, Singh added.