The Lure Of $30 BN

There is a burgeoning market for technical textiles in India and the industry should rise to the occasion to tap its potential, finds an exclusive ITJ Report.

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What has textile to do with Dengue prevention? Plenty, says the Swiss textile technology innovator HeiQ, which recently launched HeiQ Bug Guard; Wearing apparel empowered by HeiQ Bug Guard reduces the risk of mosquito and bug bites and consequently decreases the likelihood of infection with life-threatening diseases such as Zika, Malaria and Dengue.

This is just a glimpse of the scale and scope of innovations touching the textile industry! Global innovations in technical textiles, trickling in a few years ago, have already turned into virtually a flood, and developed countries like Germany’s share of technical textiles in total textiles has touched nearly 50 to 60 per cent, while in India it is still a laggard at 10 per cent. And that too, with low-tech Packtech taking a lion’s share of this measly 10 per cent!

Where does India stand in the fast-growing universe of technical textiles? In the words of the Textiles Commissioner, Dr Kavita Gupta, “we are staring at the prospects of over 20 per cent growth,” but not making adequate efforts to realise the potential. Country’s technical textiles market, which is currently estimated at over $15 billion is likely to reach a level of $32 billion by 2023, by diversifying towards nonwoven technical textiles and forging global partnerships with counterparts. Without this value addition through technical textile route, the target for the textiles and apparel industry to reach a size of over $300 billion by 2023 is only a far cry!