Chennai: In an effort to popularise technical textiles, the government has made usage of 92 items mandatory for different departments, said commerce minister Piyush Goyal.
Different government departments, including agriculture and horticulture departments, highways, railways, water resources and health ministry have mandated use of several technical textile items. As many as nine ministries have issued instructions in this regard, said Goyal. Further, the Bureau of Indian Standards has issued its quality standard for 377 technical textile items.
In January 2019, for the first time, India issued 207 HSN codes for technical textiles and in less than two years, it has become a net exporter. In 2018-19, India had a net import of Rs 2,788 crore and this came down to Rs 1,366 crore in 2019-20. In 2020-21, it became a net exporter of technical textiles with shipments valued Rs 1,767 crore. During the year 2020-21, India’s exports included PPEs, N-95 and surgical masks, fabric for PPEs and masks.
The applications of technical textiles are widening by the day, with the advent of new materials. Smart textiles, 3-D weaving, smart wear for health monitoring and ultra-high performing sportswear are bringing in new avenues, Goyal said.
