The global demand for textile chemicals is estimated to grow at a CAGR of around four per cent between 2015 and 2020. Textile chemicals are a vital division of the textile industry as various chemicals are required in the textile industry right from the pre-treatment stage to the finishing of textiles.

Chemicals used at different level of textile manufacturing include pre-treatment chemicals, textile dyeing chemicals, dyeing and printing chemicals, finishing chemicals, antistatic agents and other specialty chemicals.

There are coating and sizing chemicals, colorants and auxiliaries, finishing agents, surfactants, desizing agents, bleaching agents and yarn lubricants. With the use of textile chemicals, textile manufacturers manage to get the desired color, appearance, texture and properties in their final product.

In terms of volume, the global textile chemical market stood at above 9,500 kilo tons in 2014. The textile chemical market in India is growing at a CAGR of approximately 12 per cent in terms of industry revenues. Major players such as BASF, Clariant and Huntsman are emphasising on product innovation in textile chemicals through preparation of eco-friendly products as well as high end products. These companies extensively use bio-auxiliaries and other environment-friendly chemicals in order to decrease the overall pollution load faced by textile processing plants.