A PROJECT REPORT

ON

―Textile Industry’s Issues Challenges & Emerging Solutions with

reference to Technical Textiles"

(Based on AICTE Model Curriculum)

[KMBN252]

Submitted to:
MR. DINESH KUMAR SINGH
(Head of the Department)

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE AWARD

OF THE DEGREE
OF
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Submitted by:
SHWETA RAJ SINGH
Roll no: 2101090700045
M.B.A 1st Year (2nd SEMESTER)

Aligarh College of Engineering and Technology

Affiliated to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam University, Lucknow
June 2022
 PREFACE

The students of M.B.A. have to make a project report for the purpose of our university
examination. So, I have selected to make a report on the Textile Industry.

This has helped me to enrich the theoretical knowledge about the working and functioning of
particular areas and the management of textile Industry. I have gained this opportunity to do
this project report to understand and highlight the major and minor issues & challenges of
this industry as well as to showcase the emerging technologies that are being currently used
in this industry while highlighting their impact on the industry.
 DECLARATION

I, SHWETA RAJ SINGH, hereby declare that the report for ―MINI PROJECT (KMBN 252)‖
entitled ―Textile Industry’s Issues Challenges & Emerging Solutions with reference to Technical
Textiles‖ is a result of my own work and my indebtedness to other work publication references,
if any, have been duly acknowledged.

Place: Aligarh
Date: Shweta Raj Singh
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

“It is not possible to prepare a project report without the assistance & encouragement of other
people. This one is certainly no exception.”

I am using this opportunity to express my gratitude to everyone who supported me throughout the
course of this MBA project. I am thankful for their aspiring guidance, invaluably constructive
criticism and friendly advice during the project work. I am sincerely grateful to them for sharing
their truthful and illuminating views on a number of issues related to the project.

I am ineffably indebted to Mr. Dinesh Kumar Singh for his conscientious guidance and
encouragement to accomplish this project report. I extend my gratitude to Aligarh College of
Engineering & Technology for giving me this opportunity.

I also acknowledge with a deep sense of reverence, my gratitude towards my parents, family
members, and friends who have always supported me and who provided me with the facilities
being required for my MBA project.

Any omission in this brief acknowledgement does not mean lack of gratitude.

Thank you,

Shweta Raj Singh

 INDEX
Chapter Subject

1 Chapter 1: Textile Industry

1.1 Textile Industry: An Introduction
1.2 History of Textile Industry
1.3 Indian Textile Industry Current Scenario For Textile Industry
1.4 Current Scenario of Textile Industry Polyester Industry
1.5 Indian Industry Scenario
1.6 Structure of the Indian Textile Industry
1.7 Textile value chain
1.8 Textiles Organizations
1.9 Techniques & Technologies of Textile Industry
1.10 Technical Textile Segment
1.11 Advantage India
1.12 Investments
1.13 Government Initiatives

2 Chapter 2: Issues & Challenges

2.1 Challenges faced by the Textile Industry in India
2.2 Impediments factors in Indian technical textile industry
2.3 Technical Textile Segment wise Issues and Challenges

3 Chapter 3: Emerging Technologies

3.1 Robotics and automation
3.2 Automated technologies transforming the industries
3.3 Digitalization
3.4 New materials
3.5 Needle Punching Technology
3.6 Spunlace
3.7 Spunbond Technology
3.8 Meltblown Technology
3.9 Cool Fabrics
3.10 Biomimetics
3.11 Vivometrics
3.12 Artificial Intelligence
3.13 CAD
3.14 CAM in Textiles
3.15 Technical Textile Segment wise Technologies
3.16 Technical Initiatives and Support by the Government
4 Chapter 4: Solutions From The Emerging
Technologies/Techniques/Innovations

4.1 Fabric Pattern Inspection

4.2 The Impact of AI in the Textile Industry

4.3 Printing Solutions
4.4 Nanotechnology Solutions
4.5 Sustainable Solutions
4.7 CAM
4.8 Virtual Reality
4.9 Cloud Computing
4.10 Impact of technology in Textile Industry
5 Chapter 5: Conclusion
6 Bibliography
 CHAPTER – 1

TEXTILE INDUSTRY

1.1 Textile Industry: An Introduction

The textile industry occupies a unique place in our country. One of the earliest to come into
existence in India, it accounts for 14% of the total Industrial production, contributes
to nearly 30% of the total exports and is the second largest employment generator
after agriculture.

Textile Industry is providing one of the most basic needs of people and the holds importance;
maintaining sustained growth for improving quality of life. It has a unique position as a self-
reliant industry, from the production of raw materials to the delivery of finished products,
with substantial value-addition at each stage of processing; it is a major contribution to the
country's economy.

Its vast potential for creation of employment opportunities in the agricultural, industrial,
organized and decentralized sectors & rural and urban areas, particularly for women and the
disadvantaged are noteworthy.

Although the development of textile sector was earlier taking place in terms of general
policies, in recognition of the importance of this sector, for the first time a separate Policy
Statement was made in 1985 in regard to developmentof textile sector. The textile policy of
2000 aimed at achieving the target of textile and apparel exports of US $ 150 billion by
2015 of which the share of garments will be US $ 70 billion. The main markets for
Indian textiles and apparels are USA, UAE, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Russia,
Canada,Bangladesh and Japan.

This project deals with structure, growth and size of the Indian textile industry, role of textile
industry in economy, key advantages of the industry, textile industry export and global
scenario and strength, weakness, opportunities, issues and challenges emerging technologies
of this industry especially in Technical Textile Industry and the use of such emerging
technological use in the Indian Technical Textile Industry.
1.2 History of Textile Industry

The textile industry, with its extremely long and rich history, has had a massive impact on
the world economy and the very evolution of modern society. Weaving is believed to be one
of the oldest surviving crafts in the world today, the actual origins of which are thought to
date back to Neolithic times 12,000 years ago. Even before that time, the same principle
was used to interlace branches and twigs to form protective fences, shelters and baskets.
Once the practicality of interlacing these kinds of materials was understood, further
experimentation with other natural materials probably produced the first basic fabrics and
cloths.

 Early spinning

There seems little doubt that one of the earliest textile fibers available for spinning into yarn
and then weaving into cloth was wool from sheep. The two stage spinning process requires
that a fleece is opened to form a sliver of fibers which can be drawn out to produce an
increasingly fine thread. This is then twisted to form a yarn. Our early ancestors probably
twisted a few fibers from a lock of wool to form an extending length of yarn, which would
be wound into a ball. At a later stage the yarn was wound on to a stick and a simple flywheel
added at the lower end to produce a spindle. From this the spinning wheel developed,
invented first in India and then reaching Europe sometime in the late 14th century.

 The first loom

The first "loom" is thought to have been something as simple as the straight branch of a tree
running reasonably parallel to the ground. The lengthwise warp threads were hung from this,
weighted at their lower ends and the weft threads interlaced to form a very rough cloth. A
framework later replaced the tree branch to form a vertical loom, as used by the ancient
Greeks, which was then switched to a horizontal orientation. The ancient Egyptians are said
to have invented the shuttle for holding the weft and to have attached the warp threads to
two sticks in order to part the threads so that the shuttle could pass through.

 Mechanisation
For centuries both the spinning and weaving processes were traditionally carried out by hand
in the home on a cottage industry basis - weaving by men and spinning by women (hence the
term "spinster"). The impetus for a major reorganization in textile production came in the
1700s as inexpensive, good- quality textiles, imported from India and the Far East, gradually
began replacing European goods in international markets. The need was to increase domestic
production and lower costs by substituting the laborious hand processes for more efficient
machine operations. Many important inventions took place during this period, often having
important spin-off effects on other parts of the overall process of manufacture.

In 1733 John Kay of Bury, England, introduced his "flying shuttle" which speeded up the
weaving process so much that output was often doubled. The problem was that the supply of
yarn from the spinners was insufficient to keeppace with the increase in production. The first
improvement to the early spinning machines came in 1737 when Lewis Paul and John Wyatt
invented the roller method of spinning which made the spinning of yarn possible without
having to work it with the fingers.

In 1764, a Blackburn weaver and carpenter, James Hargreaves invented the famous spinning
jenny which by 1766 had been improved to accommodate up to 100 spindles and so vastly
accelerated the spinning operation. This was followed by Sir Richard Arkwright's spinning
frame, which was powered by water and became known as the water frame. Soon after in
1779 came the spinning mule, invented by the spinner Samuel Crompton from Bolton,
combining the features of both the spinning jenny and the water frame. The advances in
spinning technology led in turn to a bottleneck in weaving, as yarn was now being
produced much faster than it could be woven. The solution was to harness steam power to
drive the looms and it was Edward Cartwright, an Anglican clergyman, who worked out
how to do this. By the mid-1780s had produced the first steam powered loom.

 Industrial Revolution

The mechanism of spinning and weaving led to radical changes in the organisation of the
textile industry. Much of the new machinery was too large and expensive to be run in a
domestic environment and the advent of steam power meant that factories and mills sprang
up near the coalfields in the Northern England counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire - a
period which marked the end of the cottage industry and the start of the Industrial
Revolution.
The Industrial Revolution brought massive social and economic change to people's lives and
to the traditional handworkers was seen as a threat to their very livelihood. They felt anger
and resentment at the unemployment they feared - feelings which were exacerbated by a
time of deep economic recession following the Napoleonic Wars. The potential for violence
turned into physical attacks on the mills and factories between 1811 - 1813 when workers
known as Luddites began to smash the machinery they blamed for their troubles. Yet the
process of industrialisation went on unabated and there were further developments in the
textile industry with the introduction of the jacquard loom for weaving intricate patterns and
experimentation with synthetic dye-stuffs. By the mid-19th century Britain was leading the
way as the greatest textile manufacturing country in the world.

Evolution of Indian Textile Industry

1.3 Indian Textile Industry

India's textiles sector is one of the oldest industries in the Indian economy, dating back to
several centuries. The industry is extremely varied, with hand-spun and hand-woven textiles
sectors at one end of the spectrum, with the capital-intensive sophisticated mills sector on the
other end. The decentralised power looms/ hosiery and knitting sector forms the largest
component in the textiles sector. The close linkage of textiles industry to agriculture (for raw
materials such as cotton) and the ancient culture and traditions of the country in terms of
textiles makes it unique in comparison to other industries in the country. India's textiles
industry has a capacity to produce a wide variety of products suitable for different market
segments, both within India and across the world.

India is the world’s second-largest producer of textiles and garments with a large unmatched
raw material base and manufacturing strength across the value chain. It is also the 6th largest
exporter panning apparel, home and technical products. The uniqueness of the industry lies
in its strength both in the hand-woven sector as well as in the capital intensive mill sector.
The mill sector is the second largest in the world.

The textiles and apparel industry in India is the 2nd largest employer in the country
providing direct employment to 45 million people and 100 million people in allied industries.
Traditional sectors like handloom, handicrafts and small scale power-loom units are the
biggest source of employment for millions of people in rural and semi urban area and also
contribute to more than 75% of total textiles production in the country.

Besides this, there are a large number of ancillary industries, which are dependent upon this
sector such as, manufacturing various machines, accessories, stores, ancillary items and
Chemicals. Known globally for its skill and craftsmanship, the Indian textile industry is also
one of the largest export earners and accounts for about 35% of the gross export earnings in
trade. Trade restrictions have hitherto kept the Indian textile industry from soaring to the
height it is capable of, but this is changed post January 2005, as the quota restrictions were
removed.

The Textile Engineering Industry (TEI) in India is one of the five key capital goods
industries. The industry has more than 80% of the units as SMEs with a total investment of
$ 1.2 Bn and capacity of $ 1.4 Bn. The mapping of the textile engineering industry in the
country has been done by Textile Machine manufacturing Association of India (TMMA)
under the following three heads:

Group I (At par with International Standards)

Under this category comes ginning, spinning, weaving preparatory, synthetic machinery,
testing equipment and jute machinery segments wherein a substantial number of machines
are being produced and supplied to the domestic as well as export markets. Key industry
players in this segment are Lakshmi Machine Works Ltd., Aalidhra Group, Weavetech
Group, Palod Himson, Meera Industries and Premier Evolvics.

Group II (Marginal Technological Gap Exists)

This category contains weaving, processing, embroidery, and knitting machines, and parts,
components and accessories having a technological gap of 10-15 years. Key players include
Lifebond, Arun Industries, Yamuna Machines, Inspiron Engineering, Nantex Machineries,
Hi-tech International, and Perfect Engineering.

Group III (Huge Technological Gaps Exists)

Under this category falls technology for technical textiles & non-wovens, garment making
machinery and processing machinery which at current status is obsolete. This is the category
that demands for immediate action to fill in a gap of 20-30 years that exists between India
and the global market.

The Indian textile industry is one of the largest in the world. The share of textile and clothing
in India’s total exports stands at a significant 12 % (2020-21). India has a share of 5 % of the
global trade in textiles and apparel.
The Indian textile Industry has inherent linkage with agriculture and with the culture and
traditions of the country making for its versatile spread of products appropriate for both
domestic and the export markets. The domestic apparel & textile industry in India
contributes 5% to the country’s GDP, 7% of industry output in value terms, and 12% of the
country’s export earnings. The textile industry is one of the largest sources of employment
generation in the country with over 45 million people employed directly, and another 6 crore
people in allied sectors, including a large number of women and rural population. The sector
has perfect alignment with Government’s key initiatives of Make in India, Skill India,
Women Empowerment and Rural Youth Employment. In keeping with goal of making
India’s development inclusive and participative, the Government’s central focus has been on
increasing textile manufacturing by building the best-in-class manufacturing infrastructure,
upgradation of technology fostering innovation, enhancing skills and traditional strengths in
the textile sector.
The Indian textile industry is large and diverse, unique for its coverage of the entire gamut of
activities ranging from production of raw material to providing the consumers high value
added products, such as fabrics and garments. The key segments of Indian Textile Industry
are divided into Fiber, Yarn, Fabrics and Made-ups. The multi-fiber base of Indian textiles
comprises natural fibers such as cotton, jute, flex, silk, wool and coir, and synthetic and man-
made fibers from polyester, viscose, acrylic, polypropylene and nylon. Though primarily
cotton based, Indian textile industry has a growing polyester sector and is active in
processing linen, wool and silk.

India has also become the second-largest manufacturer of PPE in the world. More than 600
companies in India are certified to produce PPEs today, whose global market worth is
expected to be over $92.5 bn by 2025, up from $52.7 bn in 2019.

 FDI in the textiles and apparel industry in India has reached up to $3.9 bn till
December 2021

 India’s exports of textiles and apparel are expected to reach $100 bn in the next 5
years, growing at a CAGR of 11%

 To double the Indian textile and apparel industry size to $190 bn by 2025-26, 7 mega
textile parks have been planned

 The Indian technical textiles market was estimated at $17.6 bn in 2020-21 and grew
at a CAGR of 10% since 2015-16

 The domestic technical textile market for synthetic polymer was valued at $7.1 bn in
2020 and is projected to reach $11.6 bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 7.2%, while
technical textile market for wovens is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% to $15.7 bn by
2027, up from $9.5 bn in 2020

 India has a share of 4% of the global trade in textiles and apparel.

1.4 Current Scenario of Textile Industry

Developing countries with both textile and clothing capacity may be ableto prosper in
the new competitive environment after the textile quota regime of quantitative
import restrictions under the multi-fiber arrangement (MFA) came to an end on 1st
January, 2005 under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on
Textiles and Clothing. As a result, the textile industry in developed countries faced
intensified competition in both their export and domestic markets. However, the
migration of textile capacity influenced objective competitive factors and hampered
the presence of distorting domestic measures and weak domestic infrastructure in several
developing and least developed countries.
The elimination of quota restriction opened the way for the most competitive
developing countries to develop stronger clusters of textile expertise, enabling them
to handle all stages of the production chain from growing natural fibers to producing
finished clothing, The OECD paper stated that while low wages gave developing
countries a competitive edge in world markets, time factors played a far more crucialrole
in determining international competitiveness. Countries that aspired to maintain an
export-led strategy in textiles and clothing needed to complement their cluster of
expertise in manufacturing by developing their expertise in the higher value-added
service segments of the supply chain such as design, sourcing or retail distribution.
To pursue these avenues, national suppliers placed greater emphasis on education
and training of services-related skills and to encourage the establishment of joint
structures where domestic suppliers can share market knowledge and offer more
integrated solutions to prospective buyers.

The textile industry is undergoing a major reorientation towards non-clothing applications of

textiles, known as Technical Textiles, which are growing roughly at twice rate of textiles
for clothing applications and now account for more than half of total textile production.
The processes involved in producing technical textiles require expensive equipment and
skilled workers and are, for the moment, concentrated in developed countries. Technical
textiles have many applications including bed sheets; filtration and abrasive materials;
furniture and healthcare upholstery; thermal protection and blood-absorbing materials;
seatbelts; adhesive tape, and multiple other specialized products and applications.

1.5 Indian Industry Scenario

Textiles and garments industry is expected to reach $190 bn by 2025-26 from $103.4 bn in 2020-
21. The textiles and apparel industry in India has strengths across the entire value chain from
fiber, yarn, fabric to apparel. The Indian textile and apparel industry is highly diversified with a
wide range of segments ranging from products of traditional handloom, handicrafts, wool, and
silk products to the organized textile industry in India. The organized textile industry in India is
characterized by the use of capital-intensive technology for the mass production of textile
products and includes spinning, weaving, processing, and apparel manufacturing.

The domestic textiles and apparel industry stood at $108.5 bn in 2019-20 of which $75 bn was
domestically consumed while the remaining portion worth $28.4 bn was exported to the world
market. The highest contributors to FDI in the Textile sector of India (including dyed, printed)
from April 2016 to March 2021 are Japan, Mauritius, Italy, and Belgium. Cotton production
supports 5.8 million farmers and 40-50 million people in allied sectors. Further, the domestic
consumption of $75 bn was divided into apparel at $55 bn, technical textiles at $15 bn and home
furnishings at $5 bn. While exports comprised of apparel exports at $12 bn; home textiles exports
at $4.8 bn; fabric exports at $4 bn; yarn exports at $3.8 bn; fiber exports at $1.8 bn and others at
$2 bn.

Export of Cotton Yarn/Fabrics/Made ups, Handloom Products Etc. was valued at $1297.82 bn in
August 2021 with a positive growth of 55.62% over exports of $833.95 bn in August 2020.
Export of RMG Of All Textiles was valued at $1235.11 bn in August 2021 with a positive growth
of 13.99% over exports of $1083.53 bn in August 2020. The export of Textiles & Apparel from
April - December 2021 is $ 30449.85 mn, posting an increase of 52% over the same period during
2020. A total of 1,77,825 Weavers and Artisans are registered on Government-e-Marketplace
(GEM).

Growth Drivers
1.6 Structure of the Indian Textile Industry

The production of textiles is structured across the organised sector and unorganised decentralized
sector. The organized sector consists of spinning mills and composite mills. Composite mills are
those where all the activities, i.e., spinning, weaving and processing are performed in the same
building. Weaving is done in unorganised decentralized sector and consists of powerloom,
handloom and hosiery units which mainly perform weaving. Apart from this, knitting, yarn and
fabric processing units are also included in the decentralized sector.

Fig: Structure of the Indian Textile Industry

The Man-Made Fiber / Yarn and Powerloom Sector: This part of industry includes fiber and
filament yarn manufacturing units. The Power looms sector is decentralized and plays a vital role
in Indian Textiles Industry. It produces large variety of cloths to fulfill different needs of the
market. It is the largest manufacturer of fabric and produces a wide variety of cloth. The sector
contributes around 62% of the total cloth production in the country and provides ample
employment opportunities to 4.86 million people.

The Cotton Sector: Cotton is one of the major sources of employment and contributes in export in
promising manner. This sector provides huge employment opportunities to around 50 million
people related activities like Cultivation, Trade, and Processing. India’s Cotton sector is second
largest producer of cotton products in the world.

The Handloom Sector: The handloom sector plays a very important role in the country’s
economy. It is the second largest sector in terms of employment, next only to agriculture. This
sector accounts for about 13% of the total cloth produced in the country (excluding wool, silk and
Khadi).

The Woolen Sector: The Woolen Textile sector is an Organized and Decentralized Sector. The
major part of the industry is rural based. India is the 7th largest producer of wool, and has 1.8%
share in total world production. The share of apparel grade is 5%, carpet grade is 85%, and coarse
grade is 10% of the total production of raw wool. The Industry is highly dependent on import of
raw wool material, due to inadequate production.

The Jute Sector: Jute Sector plays very important role in Indian Textile Industry. Jute is called
Golden fiber and after cotton it is the cheapest fiber available. Indian Jute Industry is the largest
producer of raw jute and jute products in the world. India is the second largest exporter of jute
goods in world.

The Sericulture and Silk Sector: The Silk industry has a unique position in India, and plays
important role in Textile Industry and Export. India is the 2nd largest producer of silk in world
and contributes 18% of the total world raw silk production. In India Silk is available with varieties
such as, Mulberry, Eri, Tasar, and Muga. Sericulture plays vital role in cottage industry in the
country. It is the most labor-intensive sector that combines both Agriculture and Industry.

The Handicraft Sector: The Indian handicrafts industry is highly labor intensive, cottage based
and decentralized industry. It plays a significant & important role in the country’s economy. It
provides employment to a vast segment of craft persons in rural & semi urban areas and generates
substantial foreign exchange for the country, while preserving its cultural heritage.
There exists a strong complementary relationship between the organized and unorganized sectors
of textile industry. The organized sector is the sole producer of yarn which is used by both
organized as well as unorganized sector. Organized sector is also named as the modern sector
because it is the hub of technology for textile industry as the technological practices employed in
this sector enable the spinning mills to produce the yarn cost effectively and helps the
unorganized sector by making yarn available to them at competitive prices. Unorganized sector is
also termed as the traditional sector because of use of age-old traditional production practices
which are now considered obsolete. At the same time, the unorganized sector employs the largest
chunk of labour force and has been an important absorber of the surplus labour force from the
labour market. In fact, the unorganized textile sector is the second largest employer after
agriculture in Indian economy. Unorganized textile sector has also become a dominant contributor
to the total textile output. As per the structure of Indian textile industry concern, it ranges from
hand spinning and hand weaving to most sophisticated automatic spindles and looms.

1.7 Textile value chain:

The textile value chain extends from raw material (fibers) to finished products (clothing and
made-ups) with spinning, weaving, knitting and processing or fabric finishing coming in between
as intermediate processes.
1. Spinning is the process of converting cotton or manmade fiber into yarn then to fabrics,
bleaching is done on fabrics to produce textiles and finally clothes are manufactured. Most of the
spinning mills are primarily located in North India. This sector is technology intensive and
productivity is affected by the quality of cotton and the cleaning process used during ginning.

2. Weaving and knitting converts cotton, manmade, or blended yarns into woven or knitted
fabrics. The weaving and knits sector lies at the heart of the industry. India has one of the highest
weaving capacities in the world (61.6% of global weaving capacity), with a presence of 2.2
million power looms and 3.5 million handlooms.

3. Fabric finishing includes dyeing, printing, and other cloth preparation prior to the manufacture
of clothing, and is dominated by a large number of independent, small-scale enterprises. Overall,
about 4300 processors are operating in India, including about 4000 independent units and 300
units that are integrated with spinning, weaving, or knitting units.

1.8 Textiles Organizations:

The following are some governmental, semi-governmental, private bodies and associations, which
are working for the smooth running of the commerce of textile in India.
The Ministry of Textiles:
A Secretary who is assisted in the discharge of his duties by four Joint Secretaries and the
Development Commissioners for Handlooms and Handicrafts, Textile Commissioner and Jute
Commissioner heads this. The following are the principal functional areas of the Ministry:
Textile Policy & Coordination, Man-made Fiber/ Filament Yarn Industry, Cotton Textile
Industry, Jute Industry, Silk and Silk Textile Industry, Wool & Woolen Industry, Decentralised,
Power loom Sector, Export Promotion, Planning & Economic Analysis, Integrated Finance
Matters, Information Technology.
Advisory Bodies:
All India Handicrafts Board, All India Power looms Board.
Export Promotion Councils:
Apparel Export Promotion Council, New Delhi, Carpet Export Promotion Council, New Delhi
Autonomous Bodies:
· Central Wool Development Board, Jodhpur,National Institute of Fashion Technology, New
Delhi
Statutory Bodies:
· Central Silk Board, Bangalore, Jute Manufactures Development Council, Kolkata, Textiles
Committee, Mumbai
Textiles Research Associations:
Northern India Textiles Research Association, Ghaziabad, South India Textiles Research
Association, Coimbatore
Public Sector Undertakings:
· National Textile Corporation Ltd. (NTC): This is the single largest Textile Central Public
Sector Enterprise under Ministry of Textile managing 52 textile mills through its 9 subsidiary
companies spread all over India. The Headquarters of the holding company is at New Delhi.
· British India Corporation Ltd. (BIC): It has 2 woolen mills, one in Kanpur (U.P) and the other in
Dhariwal (Punjab).
· Cotton Corporation of India Ltd. (CCI): This profit-making Public Sector Undertaking under
the Ministry of Textiles, situated in Mumbai is engaged in commercial trading of cotton.
· Jute Corporation of India Ltd. (JCI): The JCI functions as the official agency in implementing
Govt. policy of providing minimum support to the jute growers and to serve as a stabilizing
agency in the raw jute sector. It has a large number of procurement centres in the following major
jute growing states of the country: West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Orissa, and
Andhra Pradesh.
· Central Cottage Industries Corporation (CCIC): The Corporation operates through its 5
showrooms situated in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai and has franchisee
outlets at Jaipur and Gurgaon.
· National Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC): The main objective of the corporation
are to ensure easy availability of raw materials and inputs used in handloom sector like yarn, dyes
and chemicals and other inputs and to encourage production and marketing of handlooms by
opening of marketing outlets. The NHDC has set up marketing complexes at Jaipur, Kochi,
Calcutta, Quilon, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Kanpur where variety of handloom products of
different state / regions are made available under one roof.

1.9 Techniques & Technologies of Textile Industry

Ancient Technology used in Textile Industry
From the discovery of many spindles and spindle whorls in the houses of Indus valley, it is
evident that spinning of cotton and wool was very common. That both the rich and poor practiced
spinning is indicated by the whorls being made of the expensive faience as also of the cheap
pottery and shell no textiles of any description have been preserved in the Indus valley owing to
the nature of the soil. A close and exhaustive examination in the textile laboratory of the pieces of
cotton, which were found attached to a silver vase, shows the specimen to be a variety of the
coarser Indian cotton, cultivated in upper India today, and not of the wild species. Some more
specimens of woven materials adhering to various copper objects have also been found to be
mostly cotton, but some were best fibers. There is no indication from the ruins as to the existence
of flax, which is largely grown in India at present and was known in ancient Elam and Egypt. The
purple dye on a piece of cotton has been taken to have been produced from the madder plant.
Dyers' vats found on the site indicate that dyeing was practiced.

Current Technology used in Textile Industry

Technological advances, globalization, climate change, and changing demographics are broad and
interconnected megatrends that have driven profound changes in the industries in past decades.
The clang of the early production machinery has been replaced by a computer-driven enterprise
that is making significant contributions to fields ranging from athletic performance equipment to
human health and rehabilitation. Among other innovations, textile engineers are developing high-
tech fibers that are used as substrates in biomedical applications, as well as materials that aid in
energy conservation and pollution control. At the same time, there has been spectacular
development of innovative textile materials for a wide range of high-value items. While the textile
industry in some parts of the world is labor-intensive, new technology has advanced
manufacturing processes in many markets. Industrial looms today incorporate air-jets to weave at
speeds of 2,000 picks per minute. Today, computer-aided design and computer-aided
manufacturing have impacted textile production, as companies seek efficiency gains to remain
profitable and competitive. Machine designs have become increasingly sophisticated and precise,
enabling innovations in specialty fabrics used in the biomedical field. In addition to substrates that
are used to rehabilitate damage to the human heart and vascular system, other textile innovations
include Dupont's Lycra, a material used in compression pants worn by competitive bicyclists.

1.10 Technical Textile Segment

India’s strengths have already been defined in traditional textiles and natural fibers globally. It is
the second largest producer of polyester in the world and is now emerging as a key player in
technical textiles industry contributing to a market size of $ 19 Bn. Technical textiles is a fast-
growing sub-segment that finds its usage in an array of sectors. Technical or engineered textiles
are defined as products, materials, and fibers that are used for their functional use rather than
for aesthetic purposes. Technical textiles have varied applications in several vital industries
including aerospace, packaging, hazard protection, shipping, sports, agriculture, defence,
healthcare, construction, etc.

India’s leap towards modernisation and its manufacturing competitiveness are some of the key
contributors to the growth of this segment. Technical textiles industry is broad-based, and its
output is categorised into 12 application segments presented below:
i. Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries, and Forestry Textiles (Agrotech): The Agrotech
segment includes textile products used in agriculture, horticulture (including floriculture),
fisheries, animal husbandry, forestry and other allied activities. Agrotech products help in
production and protection of crops and other related produce from livestock and marine life. The
farmers have already enhanced the consumption of Agrotech products viz. micro-irrigation pipes,
shade nets, vermin beds, insect nets, water carrying pipes etc. Agrotech market is expected to
reach over US$ 14,363.2 Million by 2025 growing at a CAGR of 5.5% between 2017 and 2025.
ii. Architectural and Constructional Textiles (Buildtech): Buildtech consists of those textile
products which have application in building and construction industry. Buildtech products include
architectural membranes, tarpaulins (canvas & HDPE), awnings and canopies, scaffolding nets,
wall coverings and acoustic fabric.
iii. Clothing Textiles (Clothtech): Clothtech segment comprises textile material and products
manufactured to fulfil functional requirements of clothing, garments, and footwear industry.
Shoelaces, interlinings, zip fasteners, elastic fabric, garments and umbrella cloth are some of the
major products that are included in this segment. Sewing threads dominate the Clothtech segment
with 60 percent of the market share. It is followed by cloth labels which have a market share of 18
percent. Sewing velcro, zip fasteners, elastics and shoelaces are products in this segment which
have high growth potential.
iv. Geotextiles (Geotech): These materials are permeable and have been designed for uses such
as soil reinforcement, separation, filtration, drainage and erosion control. Products in Geotech
segment are used in nonwoven, woven and knitted forms in roads, railway tracks, embankments,
waterworks etc. Major products in this segment are Geogrids, Geonets, and Geocomposites.
v. Household Textiles (Hometech): Technical components of furniture, household textiles, and
floor coverings, etc., are categorised as Hometech. Other major products in Hometech segment
include fibrefill, mattress & pillow components, carpet backing cloth, stuffed toys and blinds.
vi. Industrial textiles (Indutech): Textile products which are designed for filtration, conveying,
purification of products and other industrial uses are classified under Indutech segment.
Therefore, Indutech includes filters, conveyor belts, drive belts, bolting cloth, computer printer
ribbons and paper-making fabrics.
vii. Medical and Hygiene Textiles (Meditech): Meditech segment consists of textile material
used for healthcare and hygiene applications. This segment includes products like diapers,
sanitary napkins, surgical products, artificial implants, masks, PPE kits and surgical gowns.
viii. Transportation Textiles (Mobiltech): Mobiltech segment includes textile products that are
used for applications in automotive components of terrestrial vehicles of various kinds, railways,
airplanes, boats and ships, satellites and space crafts. The main products of Mobiltech segment
are seat belt webbings, airbags, helmets, seat upholstery, airline disposables and nylon tyre cords.
ix. Environment Protection Textiles (Oekotech): Textile products that are used for applications
related to environmental protection are categorised as Oekotech products. Oekotech products are
used in erosion control, air and water purification, waste recycling and treatment.
x. Packaging Textiles (Packtech): This segment consists of products manufactured for
applications in packaging of industrial products and food products.
xi. Protection and Safety Textiles (Protech): Products of Protech segment are used for their
functional performance in the areas of protection of personnel and physical assets. The main user
groups are those associated with external security duties (defence), fire control services, police,
paramilitary forces as well as residential and industrial security.
xii. Sport and Recreation Textiles (Sportech): High-performance textile materials used for
sportswear and sports equipment are categorised in this category. Some sportech products are
artificial turfs, sports nets, fishing rods, balloon fabrics, parachutes fabrics, hockey sticks,
racquets and sail cloths.

The Indian technical textiles market was estimated at US$ 20 billion in 2019-20, and grew at a
CAGR of 10% since 2015-16. However, due to Covid-19, the market fell 25% in 2020-21 to
reach US$ 15 billion. The world’s leading countries viz. China, USA and Germany account for
nearly 60% of the annual output of technical textiles. The penetration level of technical textiles is
relatively lower in India at 5-10% as compared to 30-70% in developed countries. A comparison
of India vis-à-vis these three leading countries suggests that technical textile industry in India is
likely to grow at a rate of around 7% as compared to growth rates that range from 3.5% to 5.6%
for the three leading countries. China has a fourth of the share of global export market for
technical textiles whereas India has less than 2% of the share. There is a vibrant research and
development ecosystem in the three leading countries and perhaps that propels the growth of
technical textiles. Trade promotion through bilateral trade agreements has been prioritised in
these countries.

1.11 Advantage India

Robust Demand

 Cotton production in India is projected to reach 7.2 million tonnes (~43 million bales of
170 kg each) by 2030, driven by increasing demand from consumers.
 Between April 2021 and September 2021, handicraft exports from India stood at Rs.
15,995.73 crore (US$ 2.13 billion), a 60.34% YoY rise due to increased participation from
industry players to boost handicraft products in global markets.

Competitive Advantage

 India enjoys a comparative advantage in terms of skilled manpower and in cost of

production, relative to major textile producers.
 Abundant availability of raw materials such as cotton, wool, silk and jute.

Policy Support

 100% FDI (automatic route) is allowed in textiles.

  Production-linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme worth Rs. 10,683 crore (US$ 1.44 billion) for
manmade fibre and technical textiles over a five-year period.
 Exports of cotton yarns/fabs./made-ups/handloom products stood at US$ 8.6 billion
between April 2021 and October 2021.

Increasing Investments

 Huge funds in schemes such as Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) (US$ 184.98 million) and
Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (US$ 961.11 million) released by Government
during 2015-16 to 2019-20 to encourage more private equity and provide employment.

Strengths of the Textile Industry:

The following are few strengths of the Indian Textile Industry:
 An Independent and self-reliant industry;
 Large and potential domestic and international market;
 Abundant Raw Material availability that helps industry to control costs and reduces the
lead-time across the operation;
 Availability of low cost and skilled manpower provides competitive advantage to industry;
 Availability of large varieties of cotton fiber and has a fast growing synthetic fiber
industry;
 Promising export potential.

Weaknesses of the Textile Industry:

The following are the few drawbacks of the textile industry, which it has to overcome.
 The Industry is a highly fragmented Industry.
 It is highly dependent on Cotton.
 There is lower productivity in various segments.
 There is a declining in Mill Segment.
  Lack of Technological Development that affect the productivity and other activities in
whole value chain.
 Infrastructural Bottlenecks and Efficiency such as, Transaction Time at Ports and
transportation Time.
 Unfavorable labor Laws.
 Lack of Trade Membership, which restrict to tap other potential market.
Opportunity
Immense growth potential
 The Indian textile industry is set for strong growth, buoyed by both strong domestic
consumption as well as export demand.

 The textile and apparel industry is expected to grow to US$ 190 billion by FY26.

 In October 2021, the government announced the target to achieve US$ 100 billion
from India’s textile exports in the next five years.

 Urbanisation is expected to support higher growth due to change in fashion and

trends.
Silk production
 The Central Silk Board sets target for raw silk production and encourages farmers
and private players to grow silk. To achieve the set targets, alliances with the
private sector, especially agro-based industries in pre-cocoon and post-cocoon
segments, are encouraged.

 The total raw silk production increased by 1% (35,820MT) in FY20 over the
previous year FY19 (35,468MT) despite COVID-19.
Proposed FDI in multi-brand retail
 For the textile industry, the proposed hike in FDI limit in multi-brand retail will
bring in more players, thereby providing more options to consumers.
 It will also bring in greater investment along the entire value chain-from
agricultural production to final manufactured goods.
 With global retail brands assured of a domestic foothold, outsourcing will also rise
significantly.
Centers of Excellence (CoE) for research and technical training
 The CoEs are aimed at creating testing and evaluation facilities as well as
developing resource centers and training facilities.
  Existing 4 CoEs, BTRA for Geotech, SITRA for Meditech, NITRA for Protech and
SASMIRA for Agrotech, would be upgraded in terms of development to
fincubation centre and support for development of prototypes.

 Fund support would be provided for appointing experts to develop these facilities.
Current scenario of FDI in textile industry
1. Cumulative FDI inflows in the textile sector stood at over US$ 3.93 billion from April 2000-
December 2021.
2. The top 10 investing countries in Indian textile sector account for approximately 70% of the
total FDI inflows. The remaining 30% of the FDI is made by 35 other countries and NRIs.
3. Highest amount of FDI is routed through Mauritius which accounts for one-third of cumulative
FDI investment so far. Belgium is ranked second with USA (7%) ranking third
Threats
» Competition in post-2005 is not just in exports, but is also likely within the country due to cheaper
imports of goods of higher quality at lower costs.
» Standards such as SA-8000 or WARP have resulted in increased pressure on companies for improvement
of their working practices.
» Alternative competitive advantages would continue to be a barrier.

1.12 Investments:
 The textiles sector has witnessed a spurt in investment during the last five years. The
industry (including dyed and printed) attracted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) worth US$ 3.93
billion from April 2000-December 2021.
 In November 2021, Federico Salas, the Mexican Ambassador to India, visited the Khadi
India Pavilion at the India International Trade Fair 2021 and suggested that India and Mexico
should come together to promote Khadi globally.
 Companies in home textile are using technology to optimise the value chain. For example,
in October 2021, Welspun India introduced Wel-Trak 2.0—an upgraded, patented end-to-end
traceability technology—to track textile raw materials throughout the supply chain.
 Home textile companies in India are also leveraging strategic partnerships to strengthen
their business operations and foothold in the country.
 In October 2021, Welspun India collaborated with DuPont Biomaterials to introduce a
home textile range and strengthen the company's sustainable textiles business.
 In May 2021, Indo Count Industries Ltd. (ICIL), announced an investment of Rs. 200
crore (US$ 26.9 million) to expand its production capacity.
1.13 Government Initiatives:

Indian government has come up with several export promotion policies for the textiles sector. It
has also allowed 100% FDI in the sector under the automatic route. The Rs. 10,683 crore (US$
1.44 billion) PLI scheme is expected to be a major booster for the textile manufacturers. The
scheme proposes to incentivise MMF (man-made fibre) apparel, MMF fabrics and 10 segments of
technical textiles products.

Other Initiatives taken by Government of India are:

 Under the Union Budget 2022-23, the total allocation for the textile sector was Rs. 12,382
crore (US$ 1.62 billion). Out of this, Rs.133.83 crore (US$ 17.5 million) is for Textile
Cluster Development Scheme, Rs. 100 crore (US$ 13.07 million) for National Technical
Textiles Mission, and Rs. 15 crore (US$ 1.96 million) each for PM Mega Integrated
Textile Region and Apparel parks scheme and the Production Linked Incentive Scheme.

 In March 2022, the Bihar government submitted a proposal to the Union Textiles Ministry
to set up a mega hub under the PM Mitra Mega Textile Park.

 In March 2022, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Mr. MK Stalin announced that the State
Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Ltd (SIPCOT) will set up a mega textile
park in the Virudhunagar district.

 For the export of handloom products globally, Handloom Export Promotion Council
(HEPC) is participating in various international fairs/events with handloom
exporters/weavers to sell their handloom products in the international markets under
NHDP.

 The Ministry of Textiles has also been implementing Handloom Marketing Assistance
(HMA), a component of the National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP), all
across India. HMA provides a marketing platform to the handloom weavers/agencies to
sell their products directly to the consumers and develop and promote the marketing
channel through organizing expos/events in domestic as well as export markets.

 The Indian government has notified uniform goods and services tax rate at 12% on man-
made fabrics (MMF), MMF yarns, MMF fabrics and apparel, which came into effect from
January 1, 2022.
 CHAPTER – 2
ISSUES & CHALLENGES
2 Challenges faced by the Textile Industry in India.
India has grown rapidly in the recent years, driven by the development of new-age Industries. The
rise in the purchasing power has also led to increase in the demand for a new level of quality of
service. With the changing economic environment, it has become the need of an hour to focus on
imparting and promoting the skills of the young population of India as there, there is still a
shortage of skilled manpower to meet the increasing demands of the economy which is one of the
challenges that the industry is facing. It is explained as follows:
1. Outdated Technology
Due to the lack of domestic manufacturers of the machinery of the textile industry there has been
inability of the cloth manufacturers to replace old and worn out machinery for production.
Moreover there is a waiting period of 2 to 3 years and by the time it is imported the machinery
becomes outdated which affects the quality and productivity. Apart from this, due to lack of
investment and research in the area of textile machinery, the industry is forced to import
machinery to compete with other textile producing countries which increases the costs and
productive efficiency. Although there have been schemes such as the Soft Loan Scheme for
modernization of textile industry equipment, the problem has not been completely addressed. In
fact, the rate of absorption of modern machinery and technology in the industry has been slow.
2. Power Shortage
Textile mills face acute power shortage. Frequent electricity cuts and staggering affect the
industry tremendously, leading to loss of man hours and low production in the mills. According to
a report by research firm Fibre2fashion, states like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have lower
textile production than their capability. The industry in Tamil Nadu faces daily losses worth 300
crores due to power shortages or irregular power supply. Small and medium scale textile
enterprises are severely affected by power shortage and are forced to use manual machines, which
produce lower quality products and are more costly to maintain which leads to longer working
hours and also affects the health of workers. In addition, the continuous rise in oil prices made
alternate arrangements costlier with the same consequences.
3. Illicit Markets
Rapid advancement in technology and liberalisation of the economy has provided opportunities
for misuse of existing brand values that have been cultivated and nurtured over a period of time.
Counterfeiting has become an economic problem of international importance and has been
growing in magnitude, affecting a wide range of sectors including textiles and apparels.
According to a worldwide survey by OECD, the largest share (30%) of seizures of infringing
items belonged to the textiles and apparels industry. According to Fibre2fashion the most popular
counterfeit market in India is clothing, followed by shoes, watches, leather goods, and jewelry.
Foreign luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Burberry, Tiffany, Prada, Hermes, and
Cartier are frequently pirated. Students and businessmen are the largest consumers of these
products. Manufacturers of original products, face enormous losses due to counterfeit products.
The common consumer, with limited knowledge, prefers to buy these counterfeit products due to
cheap or discounted prices, usually 40% to 45% lower than original value, often willingly
compromising on quality.
4. Labour Related Problems
India has an extensive youthful populace holding on to join the workforce. The textile industry
has a lot to offer to these activity searchers attributable to its work serious nature and ability to
retain work into little units. However, as different ventures, the textile industry in India
additionally faces a few problems identified with work, which are examined in the accompanying
sections. First of all the textile industry is highly fragmented which includes various processes
from spinning to garmenting. It is very much essential to see the safety and health concerns of the
workers working in this industry. Child labour is another problem associated with this industry.
According to a report by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), more than 400,000
children under the age of 18 were found to be employed in cotton seed farms in the states of
Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. More than half of these children were
younger than fourteen often below the official minimum.
Along with modernisation, there is a need for skilled workers in the industry, who can run the
machinery efficiently and understand modern production processes. Thus the skill requirement
increases with technological upgradation. In India, due to the fear of increase in requirement of
skilled labour, many firms in the industry are hesitant to expand their scale of operations or enter
into high end segments with cutting edge technology. Currently, there is a massive gap between
the availability of skilled manpower and the requirements of the industry, particularly in the
weaving, dying, processing and garment segments. According to an analysis by ICRA
Management Consulting Services and National Skill Development Corporation, the expected
shortfall in skills in the textile and clothing industry is estimated to at 26.2 million people in 2022.
5. Poor Working Environment
The type of work environment in which employees operate determines the way in which such
enterprises prosper. The basic facilities such as toilets, drinking water, ventilation and fans are not
available, working areas are engulfed in darkness and layers of grease lay underfoot. According to
a Fibre2fashion study in most textiles units in India workers face a number of problems such as
unsuitable furniture, improper ventilation and lighting, and lack of efficient safety measures in
case of emergencies. Workers in such units are at risk of developing various diseases such as
musculoskeletal disorders, osteoarthritis of the knees etc.

6. Excise Duty on Man-Made Fibers

An industry research report states that factors like rise in disposable income, growing consumer
class, rising urbanisation, increasing retail penetration are likely to increase the share of Man-
Made Fibers (MMFs) like polyester and viscose in the market by around 2017. Weavers and
textile processors in Surat expect an increase in consumption of MMFs in the domestic market at
a compounded annual growth rate of 5.2% at the end of 2015-16. The challenge however for the
textiles and apparels industry lies in the fact that while globally, there is no distinction made
between cotton and MMF, but in India there is a differential tax treatment for the two segments.
Excise duty on natural fibers like cotton, wool and flax is nil, manmade fiber, filament and yarn
attract duty as high as 12.5%. China, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand follow fiber
neutral policies where excise duty on cotton/cotton yarn and MMF yarn textiles are at the same
levels. MMF being a high technology and high investment area requires an enabling and better
fiscal environment. Reduction in excise duty on MMF will stimulate growth of the industry by
attracting investments leading to completing the value chain and higher production and exports,
thereby generating additional employment.

7. Technological gaps faced by the raw material manufacturers

Indian manufacturers have not established sufficient capacities for production of high-
performance and functional fibres which are primarily used in protective textiles (ballistic and fire
protection), ropes, composites and sports textiles. Para-aramid fibres (Kevlar, Technora, Twaron,
etc.), meta-aramid fibres (Nomex), gel spun UHMWPE fibres (Dyneema, Spectra), carbon fibres
and Nylon 66 fibres. These are imported from countries like USA, Japan, The Netherlands, etc.
Functional fibres (antibacterial, heat retaining, UV protective, moisture management) are also not
being manufactured by Indian manufacturers. The processes and technologies required for them
have been developed on a pilot scale. However, scaling up is proving to be difficult because the
size of the domestic market is not yet large and attractive enough for raw material manufacturers
to invest in setting up production capacities.

2.1 Impediments factors in Indian technical textile industry

Impediments to growth of India’s Technical Textiles industry
1. Inadequate production of High Performance Fibers
2. Absence of a formal mechanism for regular collection of reliable and comprehensive nation-
wide data of production capacity and enterprise level medium and long-term production plans
3. Lack of entrepreneurship-culture and absence of skill-training for entrepreneurship
development in the area of technical textiles
4. Deficient supplier-manufacturer and customer-connect and lack of forum for enabling their
close collaboration
5. Inadequate number (207) of designated HSN codes for technical textiles
6. Lack of globally-aligned quality standards for technical textiles in India
7. High level of import and export dependence on a limited number of countries
8. Inadequate domestic production capacity of certain products whose consumption potential in
India is high such as smart textiles and high-performance sportswear and swimwear etc.
9. Inadequate production capacity for technical textile machinery and components
10. Indian exports having a small share of international trade
11. Inadequate R&D facilities for technical textiles in the country
12. Relative inability of textile industry to attract and retain talent
13. Low level of adoption of latest technologies such as 3D nonwovens, multi-axial braiding, 3D
weaving, warp knitted spacer etc.
14. Inadequate testing facilities in the country for technical textiles
15. Prevalence of current inverted duty structure
16. Lack of international exposure for stakeholders
17. Slow pace of development of standards and their adoption
18. Delay in strengthening of educational institutes (textile engineering/technology institutes)
19. Delay in strengthening of the Textile Research Associations (TRAs) and Centres of
Excellence (COEs)
20. There is lack of awareness among consumers about the use and utility of various technical
textiles products.
Other Barriers to growth:

Factors responsible for technological gaps:

Impediments to adoption of advanced technology in technical textiles

Diving deeper into understanding the low adoption of advanced technologies in the context of
technical textiles, the experts opined and indicated the following organisational barriers and
process barriers to adoption of advanced technology:
2.2 Technical Textile Segment wise Issues and Challenges:

Protech
 Lack of availability of raw materials and high cost of developing advanced products, are
major challenges to the protective textile industry. Moreover, due to the high cost of the
product, the domestic demand for protective clothing is small. Domestic sales are just about
20-30% of total sales for all major Indian Protech players.
 The ballistic textile market is highly dependent on imports because the two major fibres –
Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and aramid fibres – whose
requirement is in the ratio of 80:20 and are not manufactured in India.
 There is a severe lack of skilled (soft and technical) engineers with management knowledge.
It is proving to be a major deficiency for the industry. Absence of any specific curriculum for
teaching and training about technical textiles to the students results in high training and
onboarding costs for the industry. This reduces the competitiveness of Indian firms.
 High level of dependence on imported raw materials (e.g. Nylon 6 and Nylon 66) is one of
the major barriers to growth.
Meditech
 There is a critical shortage of suitably skilled manpower for medical textiles.
 The biggest problem in development of Indian medical textile market is lack of raw materials.
 In the context of high value added Meditech products, the investment required for
 establishing capital infrastructure and buying technology is very high for Indian
manufacturers.
Clothtech, Hometech and Sportech
 There is a huge gap between R&D laboratories where product development for technical
textiles takes place and the fabric producers.
 The lack of facilities to promote manufacturing of raw materials and inputs has created a
disadvantage for Indian Clothtech manufacturers especially in export markets.
 In Clothtech segment, lack of local machine manufacturing has resulted in high dependence
of Indian Clothtech producers on machines imported from China.
 Because of insufficient consumer demand many products of the Sportech segments have to be
imported from outside.
 There is lack of raw material manufacturing capacity in the country for Sportech industry.
Agrotech, Geotech and Oekotech
 The practice of using refurbished machines which many a times are of sub-standard quality is
widely prevalent among the product manufacturers. It often leads to final products being of
inferior quality.
 High dependence on imports for technical textile machinery, lack of domestic source of
specialty raw material for specific end application, lack of technical expertise and human
resource, lack of focus on innovation of new products and very little research and
development are the main challenges faced by Indian Geotech industry.
 Lack of local raw material and machine manufacturers is a major challenge for Fishnet
industry.

Buildtech, Indutech, Mobiltech and Packtech

 Poor availability of industry ready manpower is one of the foremost challenges faced by
Packtech industry.
 Appropriate Packtech courses/programmes with industry interface are unavailable in Indian
academia even as there is a critical need for such courses/programmes.
 Technology and machines for manufacturing of most Indutech products continue to be
imported in large numbers causing a big capital outflow for firms in the segment.
 Shortage of raw material, lack of testing facilities, lack of development of more sustainable
and green products and need for more technological up-gradation and research are major
issues to be tackled for better growth of Indutech segment.
 CHAPTER – 3
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNIQUES/ INNOVATIONS IN
TEXTILE/ TECHNICALTEXTILE INDUSTRIES

Technological advances
With the advent of laser cutters, 3D-printing, and sewbots, industry observers have focused their
attention on the potential of robotics and automation technologies to increase productivity and
facilitate a process of re- or nearshoring of production. This could have a negative impact on
employment in the industries and cause significant disruption. In the past few years, however, the
debate has increasingly shifted to the potentially much greater impact that digitalization will have
across supply chains, with critical implications for a range of occupations and tasks in the
industries, not only in manufacturing but also in design, marketing, finance, logistics, and retail.
At the same time, the industries are undergoing a silent revolution with regard to the development
and use of new materials.

3.1 Robotics and automation

The industries have historically been slow in terms of their adoption of new robotics and
automation technologies. So called ―sewbots‖ were first developed in the 1980s, but were largely
disregarded by the industries due to the diversity of materials and processes involved, and due to
the relative cost advantages of sourcing production from developing countries with low labour
costs. This outsourcing of production from 2000 to 2015 caused a sharp drop in employment in
the industries in Europe and the United States, by 42 per cent and 66 per cent respectively.
The relatively slow uptake of automation could be about to change, however. Automated
technologies and robotic sewing systems are coming back on the market, augmented by
digitalization and in more advanced and integrated forms. Industry experts suggest that robotics
and automation will advance rapidly and that these technologies will soon be able to facilitate a
growth in re- or nearshoring, which has the potential to bring major disruption to the industry in
terms of employment and production.

3.2 Automated technologies transforming the industries

Laser cutting has evolved rapidly during the past two decades and has already replaced hand
cutting of fabrics in many factories.
Sewbots in the factory will be able to produce 1.2 million T-shirts a year at a price of
approximately $0.33 each – less than what is currently possible in low-cost countries.
3D printers and robotic arms that produce running shoes in Adidas’ brand-new, heavily
automated manufactured facility in Ansbach, Germany, have attracted media attention due to the
potential the technology has to facilitate the re-shoring of production to textile Industries and the
potential negative impact this could have on the million workers in many companies supply chain
and the developing countries it sources from.
Knitting machines that produce sweaters in two hours have been introduced in high street stores
as part of the industry’s effort to bring production closer to key markets and consumers.

3.3 Digitalization
Digitalization is likely to have an even greater impact on the industries in the decades to come.
Technologies such as radio-frequency ID (RFID) tags, sensors and the Internet of Things, coupled
with new software, augmented virtual reality (AVR), blockchains and artificial intelligence (AI),
are expected to cause considerable disruption. Digitalization will shape how products are
designed, how supply chains are managed, how and where production takes place, how logistics
systems are automated and run, and how products are marketed, sold and delivered to the
consumer. Several brands and buyers are already using digital technologies, including Amazon,
American Apparel, ASOS, Burberry, Dior, GAP, Google Shopping Actions, Tommy Hilfiger and
Zara. The adoption and use of digital technologies have so far been driven by a race to increase
sales by offering more personalized products and services. The disruption impact on retail as well
as on purchasing practices, cut-throat competition for orders, and pressure on firms in the supply
chains is becoming increasingly significant.
3.4 New materials
New materials are being developed to replace or complement existing resource intensive raw
materials (e.g., fibers made from bamboo, orange trees), improve performance (e.g., help regulate
body temperature, reduce wind resistance, control odours and muscle vibration), connect the users
with web applications, enhance aesthetics (e.g., fabrics that can change color or light up according
to the mood of the user), and protect the wearer against radiation, dry skin or ageing (e.g., drug
releasing materials or fabrics with moisturizers, perfume and anti-ageing properties). These
innovations are driven by a revolution in materials science and research. Among them are
innovative ways to recycle materials, artificially engineered nanomaterials, including cotton-blend
fabrics that kill bacteria or conduct electricity, ultra-thin silicon circuits, which could lead to high-
performance medical and communication instruments that can be worn, and even metamaterials
that make whatever they cover undetectable. Re:newcell, a start-up company supported by
LAUNCH NORDIC, has found new ways of turning used cotton and viscose into biodegradable
fibers, yarn and fabrics, and Qmilk has developed a technology to convert unused milk into a silk-
like, biodegradable fabric.

3.5 Needle Punching Technology:

Needle punching is the most widely accepted technology among various methods of producing
nonwovens with approximately 30% of non-woven manufactured with this technology
worldwide. This method is popular as it requires no water use, consumes less energy, has high
production speed, and provides high degree of flexibility in production with greater scope of
automation in the process. As companies from various countries are now-a-days considering
production methods which are not harmful to nature and waste less energy, needle punching
emerges as their obvious choice as it can use recycled material and consumes no water and
minimal energy compared to other technologies. Thus this technology is less costly.

Types of product that can be made using this technology are enormous. End use of product made
by this technology includes Interlinings, Automotive Carpeting and insulation, Filters, Felts,
Tennis Court Surfaces, and Blankets etc. China has witnessed great advancement in growth of
needle-punched products which find great use in automotive textiles and Geotextiles.

3.6 Spunlace

Spunlacing also known as hydro entangling was introduced as early as in 1973. It uses high forced
jet of water to entangle fiber and prepare web of fibers. DuPont of USA is considered as one of
the leading companies for this technology. Japan is also a prominent player in spunlacing
technology. This technology is growing faster than any other technology for producing
nonwovens as it is generally seen that investment in this technology can be recovered in shorter
period compared to other technologies and profitability of this technology is high. It can be used
for making composites with fabric. Apart from its wide application in wipes, spunlace products
have variety of applications like nonwoven bags, towel rolls, surgical gowns and packs, industrial
end-uses such as roofing felts and geotextiles etc.

3.7 Spunbond Technology

Spunbonding, the technology which can be used to produce large variety of nonwovens, is being
developed continuously since 1986. It is considered to be an economical process for producing
nonwovens. Spunbonded goods are well known for its characteristics like air permeability, good
wear properties, and environment friendliness as it uses no chemicals and are bonded
thermodynamically. Uses of this technology mainly include products for medical industry like
protective apparel, uses in hygiene industry for baby and adult diapers and in feminine hygiene
products. Their technical applications include uses in construction and agriculture industry. They
are also used as coating substrates, Dust collectors and in Filtration.

3.8 Meltblown Technology

Meltblown is quite similar to Spunbonding technique. This process is used to produce nonwovens
from polymers and resins. The process which can also be used for producing microfibres uses hot
air to attune extruded polymers. These thinned diameter fibers will be blown using air and
ultimately will be collected on a collector screen producing a nonwoven web.

When meltblowns are combined with spunbonds and other types of nonwovens, it opens up
opportunities for more application areas. Typical characteristics of products made using this
technology include low strength, good Elasticity, Large area-to-weight ratio, High filtration
efficiency and Thermal insulation etc. Uses of meltblowns include high-degree filter media for
air, liquid and particles, for absorbent clothes and wipes, babies and adult hygiene products,
medical products, in protective clothing, breathing masks etc.

3.9 Cool Fabrics

Technical fabrics developed by Adidas help in maintaining normal body temperature at 37

degrees C. Examples are labels like Clima 365, Climaproof, Climalite that serve this purpose.
Elextex consists of a lamination of five layers of conducting and insulating textiles forming an all
fabric touch sensor (1 cm2 or 1 mm2). It is certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and
can be sewn, folded and washed. These have huge scope in sports textiles.

3.10 Biomimetics

Biomimetics is the design of new fibre materials, systems or machines through the study of living
systems, to learn from their high-level functional mechanisms and to apply those to molecular and
material design. For example, imitation of how lotus leaf behave with water droplets; the surface
is microscopically rough and covered by a coating of wax like substance with low surface tension.
This idea is taken and recreated as a fabric. The potential material can reduce the effort in sports
like swimming.

3.11 Vivometrics

The electronics integrated into textiles can read body conditions like heartbeat, blood pressure,
calories burnt, lap time, steps taken and oxygen levels. This is the idea behind Vivometrics, also
called body monitoring garments (BMG). It can save the life of a new-born or of a sportsperson.
It serves as a huge innovation in the field of sports and medical textiles.
3.12 Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are
programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. The term may also be applied to any
machine that exhibits traits associated with a human mind such as learning and problem-solving.
The ideal characteristic of artificial intelligence is its ability to rationalize and take actions that
have the best chance of achieving a specific goal.

3.13 Computer Aided Design (CAD)?

Computer Aided Design (CAD) is the use of computer technology for the process of design
development / collection development. CAD reduces the requirement of manual sketching which
is very crucial for fashion sketches, flat drawing, pattern making development, manual marker
planning and many other fashion designing related aspects. Although, the initial need to sketch
out the design cannot be replaced by computer technology especially for sketches in fashion
design, it has reduced the time consumed and has increased the output levels. Computer aided
design helps cut down the time factor and helps to reduce the possibility of error to bare minimum
for aspiring fashion designers.

3.14 CAM in Textiles

CAM is an acronym that stands for computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). CAM also known as
Computer-aided Modeling or Computer-aided Machining is the use of software and computer-
controlled machinery to automate a manufacturing process. Once the design is completed, it can
be imported as a digital file to the CAM system. Now, CAM is widely used in textile industry.
CAM works with the CAD system. It takes the design and prepares the actual textile pattern. It is
mainly used to manage all aspects of the manufacturing process. In this, everything is automated
from the initial stage to the sewing of garments together. It makes the manufacturing process very
efficient and smooth. The main objective of CAM is to improve productivity and efficiency. The
application of CAM ensures that results are consistent with high accuracy in large production
scale.

3.15 Technical Textile Segment wise Technologies

Protech

Emerging technologies in Protech segment are as follows:

 Artificially intelligent fabrics

 Threat detection technologies

  Nanofibers

Meditech

The emerging technologies in Meditech segment are as follows:

 Sustainable, ecofriendly, and biodegradable medical textile products

 Spunbond nonwovens

Clothtech, Hometech and Sportech

The emerging technologies in Hometech segment are as follows:

 100% recyclable carpet backing cloth

 Waterproof and thermal insulator nonwovens

 Fabrics for soundproofing (room and building acoustic)

The emerging technologies in Sportech segment are as follows:

 3D printing segments

 Hydro cotton

 Specialty nonwoven for sports shoes

Agrotech, Geotech and Oekotech

The emerging products in Agrotech segment are as follows:

There is a lot of business interest in the Oekotech segment but it still is in the nascent stage.
Mobiltech

Mobiltech suggests growing use of:

 More compostable, degradable, biodegradable, and recyclable polymers.

 Products with single polymers becoming more popular as they render it more recyclable.

 Flex-based food storage products with antibacterial activity.

3.16 Technical Initiatives and Support by the Government

E-platform: JUTE-SMART

An e-platform ―JUTE-SMART‖ (Jute Sacking Supply Management and Requisition Tool) has
been implemented for procurement of jute sacking from 1stNovember, 2016. At present, Jute-
SMART software has become operational and indents of around 148.42 lakh bales worth Rs.
42.215 thousand crores (approx.) have already been placed through JUTE-SMART up to the
month December, 2021.

Website Management

The Content Management Framework (CMF) based website of the Ministry of Textiles, office of
DC(Handicrafts), DC(Handlooms) were made compliant with GIGW (Guidelines for Indian
Government Website) guidelines, making it compatible with multiple mode of accessibility,
accessible to visually impaired persons with bilingual support. The Content Management System
(CMS) is in place to ensure the timely web updation for the website by the concerned officials
/divisions.

PLI Portal for Ministry of Textiles

NIC has designed & developed Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Portal for Ministry of Textiles.
This is the Portal for one out of the ten PLI Schemes approved by the Government of India.

National Technical Textiles Mission

With a view to position the country as a global leader in Technical Textiles, National Technical
Textiles Mission has been approved for creation at a total outlay of Rs.1480 Crore; with four-year
implementation period from F.Y. 2020-21 to 2023- 24.
 CHAPTER – 4

SOLUTIONS FROM THE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNIQUES/

INNOVATIONS

Textile is a labour-intensive industry and technologies like AI and IoT have helped in easier data
processing, predictive analysis, developing smart apparel, and efficiently take up massive work
without human intervention. The applications of artificial intelligence will help transform the
textile industry for innovative business developments

4.1 Fabric Pattern Inspection

AI technology like Artificial Neural Network (ANN) helps in defect detection in patterns like
weaving and knitting. The AI-enabled vision-based inspection can reduce human errors and
increase efficiency. For example, Cognex ViDi developed by Cognex Corp. can automatically
inspect fabric patterns. Cognex ViDi leverages machine vision-based technology and it does not
require any specific development strategy to implement it into manufacturing. AI-enabled fabric
pattern inspection accelerates manufacturing by reducing pattern defects with minimum labour
and maximum precision and accuracy. AI can be used in fabric defect detection, which is
traditionally done by the human workforce by individually analyzing each piece of fabric to
understand its quality. Manual detection might take a lot of time and AI will make the process
quicker with fewer intrusions.

AI in Pattern Making

Pattern cutting and pattern making is a crucial process in the textile industry in which fabrics are
cut according to the design and they make different patterns on the fabric. Computer-Aided
Design (CAD) is an AI subset that enables computerized pattern making. Here, designers can
make the basic structure of patterns and digitize them. CAD is used in cutting patterns where it
provides 3-D images of the fabric and designs which makes visualization easier.

Supply Chain Management and Merchandising

AI can be used to automate transportation and packaging in textile industries. Supply chain
management is important to manage the smooth flow of materials between retailers and
manufacturers. Good supply chain management demands huge storage spaces, better warehouse
management, product segregation, and better communication. AI can provide all these benefits
through robotics, RPA, machine learning, IoT, and other technologies. Merchandising is yet
another space that can leverage AI to analyze and process data chunks, personalize customer
experiences, track customer behaviour, and predict market trends. AI-enabled technologies like
data analytics, NLP, and virtual assistants ensure effective communication between
manufacturers, production endpoints, retailers and consumers.

Smart Apparel

The future textile industry will leverage AI to develop more innovations like smart clothing.
Smart apparels have sensors and integrated technology which monitor our body and health
condition through biometrics. Further, this technology will help in self-detecting irregularities in
heart rates, and consistent monitoring can even help diagnose heart-related diseases. Intelligent
clothes can benefit the sports and fitness industry by tracking training progress, monitoring
physical state, predicting injuries and helping people analyse their health in near future. AI can
increase productivity, help in fiber identification, safer working conditions, demand forecasting
and more.

Color management

Data color was widely utilized for color management to validate that the original color design is
consistent with the completed textile color. Datacolor proposes to take into consideration its AI
function the historical data from visual evaluation outcomes of human operators and to generate
tolerances that in turn lead to contributive inspections that are closely matched to the visual
inspection samples.

Fabric grading

In textile manufacturing, machine learning has made it possible to grade fabrics more objectively
and to produce more consistent outcomes. AI benefits from the fine, solid, and staple fiber
lengths, accurately determined using an artificial neural network. An example of AI technology is
the wise eye, capable of detecting fabric faults. A high-performance LED lighting bar is produced
by the machine with a powerfully coupling high-resolution camera to be mounted up to 90% by
an electric motor. This is utilized for monitoring the fabric.
4.2 The Impact of AI in the Textile Industry

1. Trend-spotting

In view of the rapidly changing fashion trends, anticipating fashion trends is obviously not only a
difficult but also a time-consuming endeavor. Analysts were required to detect the next trend by
manually examining previously popular styles, trends in social media, and client preferences.
Professionals may or may not guess exactly what they are doing.

2. Machine-assisted design

AI tools may be analyzed and the interred photos learned and hence a whole new fashion can be
generated by itself. With the promise of AI in design realized, numerous technological titans
already undertake major strides to incorporate the technology. For example, an AI tool was
developed by a group of professionals in Amazon, who can analyze and understand photographs
and generate a whole new fashion design by themselves.

3. Customer experience

With customers still annoyed and grumbling about not receiving timely support or service,
fashion companies are constantly under pressure to provide what they demand nearly instantly.
Thanks to this sophisticated technology, fashion firms are striving to bring customization to the
fore during their purchasing trip.

From personified advertising notifications to price drops, to doubts or questions with chatbots and
personal styling. Instant consumer proposals can be provided by AI and fashion brands can fulfill
their goal of raising customer experience.

4. Enabling New Applications

Smart clothes combined with electric sensing technologies can accomplish the same, like how
fitness trackers can enable their users to live a better and more attentive lifestyle. Your clothing
nonetheless can offer more forms of physiological signal monitoring than a smart clock because
you have greater interaction with your body than a smartwatch.

Smart clothing can allow continuous monitoring, such as our heart rate, of critical biometrics.
With more practical long-term surveillance, doctors can better identify or diagnose probable heart
disorders.
4.3 Printing Solutions

Laser printing - Textile machines now use laser printing to produce images on clothes, like jeans
and shirts. As a result, designs can be transferred to materials more quickly and more precisely.

Digital printing - Digital printing for instance is one of the newest techniques to give color to a
fabric with minimal water usage. Nowadays we have dyes that adhere to the fiber instantly and
more quickly eliminating the need for water. Layered printing allows for more complex designs.

3D Printers - Although mostly found only in the high fashion community, companies like Nike
are finding ways to use 3D printing to make innovative shoes, a technology that may be
eventually applied to thinner and more resilient fibers to make actual, soft clothing.

4.4 Nanotechnology Solutions

The textile industry is looking to use nanotechnology to create more scientific clothing, like fire-
repellent, self-cleaning, and water-repellent items. Nanotechnology will also allow the textile
industry to make products at lower energy thresholds, which helps to sustain the environment.

4.5 Air dyeing: Sustainable Solutions

It is the new age technology that eliminates up to 95% less water compared to the traditional
dyeing method. This method uses air to help the dye penetrate the fibers instead of water. There
are huge Indian companies that are investing in the ―Air-Dyeing‖ or CO2 Dyeing, which will be
the next big thing in textile processing.

4.6 Computer Aided Design

1. Using CAD software, a designer can create new sketches, patterns, prints more quickly and
precisely. With the increasing use of CAD, fashion designers can create multiple variations of a
single design and style and adapt it to varying material and pattern.

2. CAD also allows the designer to explore various color-ways of a print developed as opposed to
the traditional design methods the alterations and rectifications are quick as well as more accurate,
as it reduces rooms for errors.

3. As the whole process from print development, collection development can be done on virtual
version and very less part of the whole process is an actual physical raw material the cost of
collection development in fashion designing can be reduced to a minimum.
4.7 CAM

The CAM is frequently used to store textile designs for repeat printing orders. Various types
of CAM machines have been developed for the textile industry. These machines are based on
computer-numerical control (CNC) programming. In textile processing, these machines are
used to pick up the fabric from store, spread and cut the fabrics, label and transport the cut
fabric pieces for assembly and to move the cut fabric pieces around the factory on an overhead
conveyer. These machines are also used for automatic buttonholing and automatic
embroidery.

4.8 Virtual reality (VR)

It is gaining popularity across many industries. VR allows for enhanced interactions with
drawings, and the designer is allowed to see their models in 3D before they are physically
created. This increases the accuracy of the design and helps in finding the mistakes before the
product gets manufactured.

4.9 Cloud Computing

Cloud computing provides a platform where multiple designers and engineers work on a
project at once. Cloud-based solutions also allow for the sharing and distribution of
documents so that all team members can stay informed at all times. Other future cloud
solutions with promising benefits include access via phones and tablets.

4.10 Impact of Technology on Textile Industry in India

Technology has helped the machinery with productivity and cost-cutting. The new
developments in the machinery are made to profit both the manufacturer and the product due
to its efficiency and heightened product quality. The textile industry is nothing short of its
adaptation capabilities. The government has also taken a lot of initiative when it comes to
textile manufacturing as it is one of the largest contributors to the gross income of the nation.

New technologies like CAD (computer-aided design), CAM (computer-aided manufacturing)

have brought significant changes in clothing manufacturing and organization. Information
technology has also had a major impact in facilitating the export of textiles and garments. A
wave of innovation in the textile industry is the coming of Industry 4.0 where automation and
Artificial intelligence are included in the machinery for textile production.
 CHAPTER – 5
CONCLUSION

India is working on major initiatives, to boost its technical textile industry. Owing to the
pandemic, the demand for technical textiles in the form of PPE suits and equipment is on rise. The
government is supporting the sector through funding and machinery sponsoring.

Top players in the sector are attaining sustainability in their products by manufacturing textiles
that use natural recyclable materials.

The future of the Indian textiles industry looks promising, buoyed by strong domestic
consumption as well as export demand. With consumerism and disposable income on the rise, the
retail sector has experienced a rapid growth in the past decade with the entry of several
international players like Marks & Spencer, Guess and Next into the Indian market.

High economic growth has resulted in higher disposable income. This has led to rise in demand
for products creating a huge domestic market.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY & REFERENCES
 http://www.indianscience.org/projects/t_pr_gupta_textile.shtml
 http://www.textileworld.com
 www.textileworldasia.com
 www.brittanyusa.com/nice3.htm
 www.ibef.com
 www.google.com
 http://www.dsir.gov.in/reports/ExpTechTNKL/Abs%20new/MAG.htm
 www.rieter.com
 www.techexchange.com
 www.texmin.nic.in

 www.tradeindia.com

 https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/2433/technology-and-its-impacts-on-
textile-industry

 https://textilelearner.net/cam-in-textile-industry/