New Delhi: The Ministry of Textiles, under the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), has approved significant funding for startups and educational institutes to boost research, entrepreneurship, and skill development in the technical textiles sector. The decisions were taken during the 10th Empowered Programme Committee (EPC) meeting held at Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi, chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Textiles.
In a major push for innovation, the committee approved grants of ₹50 lakh each to four startups under the ‘Grant for Research & Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT)’ scheme. These startups are working in critical areas such as medical textiles, industrial textiles, and protective textiles, aiming to enhance the domestic production and application of specialized textile products.
Additionally, three educational institutes, including IIT Indore and NIT Patna, have been granted ₹6.5 crore to introduce technical textiles courses. These courses will cover geotextiles, geosynthetics, protective textiles, and sports textiles, ensuring that students gain industry-relevant knowledge and contribute to the sector’s growth.
To further strengthen skill development, the committee approved 12 new training courses across medical textiles, protective textiles, mobile textiles, and agricultural textiles. These courses, developed by leading Textile Research Associations such as SITRA, NITRA, and SASMIRA, will help train professionals across different segments of the technical textiles value chain.
The National Technical Textiles Mission, launched to position India as a global leader in technical textiles, continues to support innovation, skill-building, and academic research. The latest approvals signal the government’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship, equipping the workforce with specialized skills, and integrating technical textiles into mainstream education.
