Home / News / FICCI urges formulating technical textile standards

FICCI urges formulating technical textile standards

28 Feb '14

5 min read

Technical Textiles are materials and products used primarily for their technical performance and functional properties (like fire retardant textiles, bullet proof jacket, anti-microbial fabric etc). Technical Textiles represent a multidisciplinary field with numerous end-use applications.

The Compendium noted that there has been progress in terms of formulation and notification of standards for technical textiles since the last Seminar in 2011. Since then, twenty one standards have been printed and sent for notification and for another nine, drafts have been finalized and are under printing according to FICCI-E&Y-Wazir & Ministry of Textiles Compendium on Standards. Similarly, there are over three dozen draft standards which are in various stages of finalization.

Dr A Didar Singh, Secretary General, FICCI noted "Standards play an important role in the growth and sustainable development of manufacturing sector and that is why FICCI is trying to work with BIS in those areas where absence of standards is constraining growth of those sectors. One such sector is technical textiles which is a nascent industry and needs standards for the better quality of life. A dynamic manufacturing eco-system, in order to learn and grow, needs to have good regime of Standards".

"In the absence of technical standards, it becomes easy to import poor quality products into the country. This hurts the domestic industry" said Dr Didar Singh.

The first edition of the seminar was organized in 2011 and has been found to be a meaningful platform for discussing latest developments in standardization in technical textiles.

FICCI has also been seeking mandatory usage of technical textiles in creating areas like use of fire retardant textiles (curtains, drapes etc) in public places in the interest of safety and health of the public at large. Standardization is the pre-requisite for mandatory use of technical textiles wherever necessary.

Standards will ensure that products and services are safe, reliable and of good quality. Industry has identified a number of areas where mandatory usage of technical textiles is required not just for creating demand but in the overall interest of safety, security and health of our people.

Mandatory use of fire retardant textiles in public places like multiplexes, Malls, public buildings etc will go a long way in increasing safety of the public at large. Around six percent of accidental deaths in India are due to fire related incidents as per the report of Ministry of Home Affairs and around twenty three thousand people died due to fire accidents in 2012.

Similarly, mandatory usage of some medical textile and hygiene related technical textiles will contribute immensely to the health and hygiene in hospitals. In some cases, the rules provide for protective equipment to be used at workplace but require strengthening of our implementation mechanism.

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry

More Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry News...