New Delhi: The Ministry of Textiles has approved the Startup Guidelines for Technical Textiles, aimed at promoting research and entrepreneurship in the field. The guidelines, known as Grant for Research and Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GRANT), will provide grants of up to INR 50 Lakhs for a maximum duration of 18 months. This initiative, part of the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), focuses on nurturing aspiring innovators in technical textiles.

The startup guidelines are designed to boost the development of the technical textiles startup ecosystem in India, particularly in specialized areas like sustainable textiles, smart textiles, and high-performance fibers. The emphasis is on helping individuals and companies transition from prototypes to practical technologies and products, including their commercialization.

The guidelines spotlight various application domains of technical textiles such as agro-textiles, building-textiles, medical-textiles, protective-textiles, and more. They also promote the creation of high-performance fibers, recyclable textile materials, and smart textiles utilizing technologies like artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and 3D/4D printing.

To encourage incubators, the Ministry plans to offer an additional 10% of the total grant-in-aid. Incubatees are required to invest a minimum of 10% of the funding they receive in two equal installments, demonstrating their commitment to the project.

In another significant move, the Ministry has approved the upgrade of laboratory infrastructure and training for trainers in 26 institutions in the field of technical textiles. Additionally, 26 institutes have been given the green light to develop and introduce technical textile courses, including new degree programs, in key departments and specializations. Premier institutes such as IIT Delhi, NIT Jalandhar, and NIFT Mumbai are among those set to benefit from this initiative.

Furthermore, the Ministry is taking steps to ensure the quality and regulation of technical textiles. It has already notified Quality Control Orders (QCOs) for various technical textile products, with additional QCOs in the pipeline. These measures are set to come into effect from October 7, 2023, onward.

Source: PIB