The Ministry of Textiles has approved a series of startups in the technical textiles sector, aiming to foster innovation and sustainability while shaping the industry's future. This announcement was made by Rachna Shah, secretary, Ministry of Textiles, during the 7th meeting of the Empowered Programme Committee (EPC) of the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM).

The NTTM’s Grant for Research and Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT) is designed to encourage young innovators, scientists, technologists, and startup ventures in the technical textiles field to convert their ideas into commercial technologies and products, promoting self-reliance in India, the Ministry of Textiles said in a press release.

According to Shah, GREAT supports individual entrepreneurs or startups in developing functional prototypes or commercialising their technologies for technical textiles.

The EPC has approved seven startup proposals under the GREAT scheme, with the government of India providing a maximum fund support of ₹5 million (approximately $59,844) per startup. To date, eight startup proposals have been approved under NTTM, focusing on sustainability, composites, high-performance textiles, meditech, and smart textiles, thereby driving significant advancements in these crucial areas.

Among the approved startups are initiatives focused on developing and manufacturing braided composites for military applications, Radmone Integrated IFF Antenna, surgical simulation models made of composites for training doctors, and nano-fibre infused textiles for energy generation and sensing. These projects are expected to significantly contribute to technology-oriented manufacturing in India.

In addition to supporting startups, the EPC has approved a grant of approximately ₹64 million (approximately $7,65,992) to IIT Guwahati. This grant aims to introduce new papers and subjects in technical textiles and upgrade the laboratory infrastructure in the Civil Engineering Department. Provided under NTTM’s ‘General Guidelines for Enabling of Academic Institutes in Technical Textiles—for Private & Public Institutes’, the grant is set to enhance IIT Guwahati's capabilities in technical textiles, particularly geotextiles.

With improved laboratory infrastructure and expanded capabilities, IIT Guwahati, a premier institute in the North East Region, will be better equipped to address the unique geographical and environmental conditions of the area. The grant will enable the institute to become a key enabler of the region's development by offering technical consultancy and necessary support.