India to double tech textiles global share by '10

India is set to double its global market share of technical textiles by 2010. In 2005, India accounted for 4 per cent of the share.

Technical textiles are extremely durable products with oil- and water-repellent characteristics. Made from synthetic and cellulosic fibres, they are primarily used in agriculture, the medical profession, automobile applications, reinforcement of buildings, fire-retardant products, aerospace industry, military and high-technology areas.

"The global technical textiles market is estimated at $100 million and anticipated to grow at the rate of 3.5 per cent by 2010. India's global share is expected to increase to 9 per cent by 2010," a report of the working group on chemicals and petrochemicals said.

However, in order to pip China (whose share was 16 per cent in 2005 and is expected to go up to 22 per cent by 2010), India would have to undertake power and labour reforms, the working group stated.

To achieve the target, the working group has recommended various initiatives to encourage investments in the high-performance yarn by extending the Technology Upgrade Fund Scheme (Tufs) to it.

The group has also urged the government to put in place a regulatory framework for use of technical textiles in road construction, public places like exhibition halls and cinema halls, and airbags in passenger cars among others.

Currently, India mainly uses traditional low-end applications on technical clothes and packaging.

"There is a potential for additional 1,668 kilotonnes of technical textiles in the country with an estimated investment of Rs 43,700 crore," a source said.