What are Technical Textiles?

About Technical Textiles:

• Technical textiles are defined as textile materials and products used primarily for their technical performance and functional properties rather than their aesthetic or decorative characteristics. 
• Other terms used for defining technical textiles include industrial textiles, functional textiles, performance textiles, engineering textiles, invisible textiles, and hi-tech textiles. 
• They are designed to have high levels of physical, mechanical, thermal, and/or chemical properties for use in specific applications within industrial sectors such as earthworks, construction, civil engineering, transport, defence, medical, and healthcare.
• They are used individually or as a component/part of another product.
  • Technical textiles are used individually to satisfy specific functions, such as fire-retardant fabric for uniforms of firemen and coated fabric to be used as awnings.
  • As a component or part of another product, they are used to enhance the strength, performance or other functional properties of that product.
• They are manufactured using natural as well as man-made fibres.
• They are classified into 12 major groups based on their application areas, namely: Agrotech, Geotech, Buildtech, Mobiltech, Hometech, Clothtech, Indutech, Meditech, Sportstech, Protech, Packtech and Oekotech.

National Technical Textiles Mission:

• It was launched by the Union Ministry of Textiles to increase the penetration level of technical textiles in India while leveraging the extraordinary growth rate of the sector.
• The mission aims to position India as a global leader in technical textiles.
• The mission will comprise of the following four components:
  • Research, Innovation and Development
  • Promotion and Market Development
  • Export Promotion
  • Education, Training, and Skill Development
• Target: The Mission has a target to take the domestic market size of the technical textile sector to $ 40-50 Billion by the year 2024 with an average growth rate of 15-20% per annum.