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Body for tech textiles

The recent proposal to set up an expert committee on technical textiles is certainly an apt move. The ministry should not lose any time in forming this body which will ensure speedy implementation of the process. It is already more than an year since SASMIRA was appointed as nodal agency. The delay is despite the fact that technical textile has been recognised as a future growth driver in the new textile policy. This is the only area that can bale the Indian industry out of the current doldrums. The recent report published by UK-based David Rigby Associates has forecasts that the world market for technical textiles and non-wovens will increase by 3.5 per cent annually to reach 23.8 million tonnes valued at $ 126 billion by 2010.

ignificantly, it says that the growth of these high performance textiles will be strongest in Asia which will account for 45 per cent of the world market in 2010. This clearly exhibits the kind of potential that technical textiles offer to the industry which so far has been continuing with the production of low-value commodity textiles. With the global growth in conventional textiles reaching a static level, it is high time that the industry initiates efforts towards creating a production base having a judicious mix of conventional and the high-performance technical textiles. Most of the developed economies like Japan, US, Germany, UK realised this fact long back and today they are well placed in the world trade. China has already started the process and has made a significant progress in developing capabilities in the field of technical textiles where the value addition is as high as 500 per cent depending upon the applications.

According to the report, by the year 2010, non wovens will enhance their share of fabric usage by weight from 31 per cent to 39 per cent largely at the expense of woven fabrics, whose share will go down from 60 per cent to 53 per cent. The study has perceived automobile, industrial and sports-related products the major growth areas, while the fastest growing areas up to 2004 will be construction/building, geo textiles and medical/hygiene. To tap this immense opportunity, a joint approach on the part of the government and the textile industry is called for.

The government will have to initiate the whole process with the industry suitably supporting such a move. Since this sector is highly technical in nature, there is need to develop the processes, products and markets, all simultaneously. Initially, the R&D efforts have to be focussed on developing technical textiles having applications in specific areas. Most importantly, we have a very strong manufacturing base for conventional textiles and the same with a little with modifications can very well serve the purpose for production of technical textiles. It is high time the government along with the industry gear up to explore the opportunities thrown before them.