The Centre is working on major interventions to position India as a global hub in the manmade fibre and technical textiles segments, including setting up five integrated mega textiles parks, a state-of-the-art world class testing lab and bringing a Focused Product Scheme, a top official said on Wednesday.
Emphasising that India must explore the USD 150 billion global manmade fibre (MMF) market, Textiles Secretary Ravi Capoor also said he is in talks with the Department of Higher Education for introduction of courses in universities and technical institutions like engineering colleges for creation of specialised manpower in the MMF and technical textiles segments.
Addressing a CII conference virtually, Capoor said an evaluation study led by Niti Aayog on the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) of the textiles ministry has revealed that Rs 13,000 crore worth machinery was being imported by India and the country has reached
nowhere in terms of technology upgradation except in the spinning segment.
He said the government is also willing to offer capital investment subsidy for setting up machine manufacturing plants to textile industry players interested in forging joint ventures, provided the foreign partner agrees to supply machines to domestic firms at a particular price.
“We want to make India a very strong base for technical textiles,” Capoor said, adding that a Focused Product Scheme offering production-linked incentives was “almost ready” and will lay special emphasis on the MMF and technical textiles segments. He said the ministry was in a “very advanced stage of encouraging some mega textile parks”, starting with about five such parks with integrated facilities and quick turnaround time for minimising transportation losses, eyeing big ticket investments in the sector.