Materials of technical textiles that are used for their technical performance and functional properties can benefit from some existing fiscal sops for the textile industry including the package for made-ups and apparels announced earlier this fiscal and the technology upgradation funds (TUF) scheme, Textiles Minister Smriti Irani has says. Responding to demands from the industry for fiscal incentives to promote the sector at a curtain-raiser for Technotex 2017, the sixth international exhibition and conference on technical textiles scheduled in Mumbai this April, Irani observed that her team could advise the industry on how to approach the government for benefits.
Like home textiles, technical textiles and clothing textiles would be eligible for benefits under the fiscal package for made-ups and apparels. The textile ministry can advise the sector on how to approach the government, the minister informed at the even organised by industry body FICCI.
There are 12 broad categories of technical textiles which include industrial textiles, eco textiles, geo textiles, home textiles, packaging textiles, protective textiles, sports textiles, clothing textiles, agro textiles and construction textiles. Although the domestic industry has been growing steadily from about Rs. 73,688 crore in 2013-14 to an estimated Rs. 1, 15,217 crores in 2017-18, India comprises just 4 per cent of the global technical textiles exports and 3 per cent of technical textiles imports.
