20% growth in tech textiles vital: Kavita Gupta

The 57th Joint Technological Conference of the four research associations, held at the BTRA Campus, showed a great tilt in its focus towards the emerging areas of textile industry, specifically the technical textiles. The Chief Guest, Dr Kavita Gupta, Textile Commissioner, struck the keynote for the conference by saying that while Germany has more than 50 per cent of textile products are technical textiles. “But in India hardly 10 per cent of textile products belong to technical textiles. And even in that, about 5 to 6 per cent constitute low-tech packaging materials. Now is the time to think hard and find out in what we are lacking. Why we have not been able to give a push to technical textiles in India? Though we have research institutions and centres of excellence doing a lot of research.”

The lacunae is not the research, but the failure to translate the concepts from the lab to the field and make them work, Dr Gupta said. “We have the best talents in research, but if we cannot commercialise the results of research, then what use is this research? The link connecting the academia and the industry is very vital. The search should be demand-based and market-driven. The direction today that the industry and research must look at is technical textiles and no one can deny that.The greatest potential lies there.”

The present size of the technical textiles is Rs 1 lakh crore, and at present it is growing at a rate of CAGR 20 per cent. “By 2021, we should reach Rs 2 lakh crore. Is this possible,” she asked the audience, who gave a positive reply. Earlier, Dr Gupta was all praise for the efforts of VDMA in offering latest technologies to India, through the keynote presentation of Rajesh Nath, MD of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA).

In his welcome address, Dr Anjan K Mukopadhyay, Director of Bombay Textile Research Association (BTRA), was all praise for the Textile Commissioner, who, he said that was the driving force in promoting technical textiles in India.The conference had seven sessions with five parallel sessions consisting of 32 presentations. This included a dedicated session on geosynthetics.

This session sponsored by the Textile Commissioner Office, explored the opportunity for investment in geosynthetics with the focus on technologies available and the product baskets. Two German companies—Dilo Group and A Monforts—took part in the technology session of geosynthetics.

Narendra Dalmia, Deputy Chairman, Governing Council of BTRA, in his presidential address enumerated all the achievements of the textile research associations (TRAs). An entire session was devoted to geosynthetics and it ended with an interactive; question and answer session. The topics including in other sessions covered were: 1) Eco-friendly jute reinforced composite based toilet with bio-digester; 2) Development of infant baby clothings; 3) Development of silver coated electro-conductive cotton fabric; 4) Use of electron beam irradiation; 5) Adhesion improvement of coated textiles; 6) A study of work practices in Indian garment factories; 7) Geosynthetics; 9) Geo-bags for flood control; 10) Geogrids for retaining walls; 11) Metal net covered sand fill bags; 12) Geostrap for RE walls; 13) Geosynthetic systems for coastal erosion control; 14) Strengthening of road subgrade and slope stabilisation using jute geosynthetics; 15) Rehabilitation for existing landfills 16) Challenges and potentials of using geosynthetics in road and bridges; 17) Geomembranes for landfills and ponds; 18) Vacuum PVD for fast soil stabilisation; 19) Hydraulic properties of geo-textiles; 20) Geotechnical expertise at BTRA; 21) Paper on development of nano-fibre based water filtration device; 22) Electronic drape tester; 23) Development of smoothness testers; 24) Protective textiles; 25) Development of work wear for workers working in cement industry; 26) Twist contraction levels in modern ring spinning process; 27) Combing of polyester on yarn quality; 28) Achievable levels of UKG in modern spinning mills; 29) Productivity Survey in Spinning Mills 30) Water conservation in wet processing.