India will promote academic institutes and start-ups in technical textiles. The institutes will be both public and private. The guidelines for promoting start-ups in technical textiles are under formulation and are expected to release soon.

The aim basically is moving toward increasing India’s market share in the technical textile industry. The areas covered under funding include laboratory equipment and training of lab personnel, specialised training. Laboratory infrastructure funding support will depend on the eligible department, courses and criterion.

A grant for internship support in technical textiles has also been announced for students pursuing B Tech or undergraduates from various departments/specialisations. There will be a maximum of 50 interns per academic year, grant for whom will be up to Rs 20,000 per student per month (for a period of two months).

The ecosystem in technical textiles will be meant not only for the textile field but also for other disciplines of engineering like civil, mechanical, electronics, agriculture institutes, medical colleges and fashion institutes. Encouragement will be given for developing technical textiles machinery, tools, equipment and instruments.

Driven by a set of highly educated and skilled professionals, India is expected to take a huge leap in cutting-edge research, production and innovative applications related to technical textiles.