Ministry of Textiles Approves Startups in Technical Textiles to Boost Innovation and Sustainability

New Delhi: The Ministry of Textiles has approved several startup proposals in the field of technical textiles, aiming to boost innovation and sustainability and foster transformative developments in the industry. This announcement was made by Smt. Rachna Shah, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, during the 7th meeting of the Empowered Programme Committee (EPC) of the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM).

The NTTM’s initiative, Grant for Research and Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT), encourages young innovators, scientists, technologists, and startup ventures to translate their ideas into commercial technologies and products, contributing to India’s self-reliance. The GREAT scheme supports individual entrepreneurs or startups in developing functional prototypes or commercializing their technologies in the technical textiles sector.

The EPC has approved seven startup proposals under the GREAT scheme, with the Government of India providing a maximum fund support of INR 50 lakhs per startup. To date, eight startup proposals have been approved under NTTM, focusing on sustainability, composites, high-performance textiles, meditech, and smart textiles. These approvals are expected to drive significant advancements in these crucial areas.

Among the approved startups are initiatives focused on developing and manufacturing braided composites for military applications, Radmone Integrated IFF Antenna, surgical stimulation models made of composites for training doctors, and nano-fiber infused textiles for energy generation and sensing. These technology-oriented projects are poised to propel manufacturing innovation in India.

Additionally, the EPC has approved a grant of approximately INR 6.4 crores to IIT Guwahati. This grant is intended to introduce new papers and subjects in technical textiles and upgrade laboratory infrastructure in its Civil Engineering Department. The funding is provided under NTTM’s ‘General Guidelines for Enabling of Academic Institutes in Technical Textiles – for Private & Public Institutes.’

By enhancing its laboratory infrastructure and expanding capabilities in technical textiles, particularly geotextiles, IIT Guwahati, a premier institute in the North East Region, will be better equipped to address the unique geographical and environmental conditions of the area. The grant aims to catalyze the institute’s role as a key enabler of the region’s development by offering technical consultancy and necessary support.