To make India a manufacturing hub in the area of technical textiles, under the Make in India initiative of Government of India, Technotex 2016 has been organised by the Government of India in association with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). The 5th International Exhibition & Conference on Technical Textiles recognises the immense potential of technical textiles and its increasingly diverse and innovative applications.
Fittingly, the event has a smart theme: Technical Textiles Towards a Smart Future. Technotex 2016 will be held at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon, Mumbai from April 21-23, 2016.
Speaking at the curtain raiser event of Technotex 2016, held at Shangri-La, Eros Hotel New Delhi, Minister of State for Textiles (Independent Charge), Santosh Kumar Gangwar said that technical textiles can play an important role in the nations social and economic fronts. As examples, he pointed out the applications of geotextiles in infrastructure and agrotextiles in improving agricultural productivity and quality of output. The Minister recalled the launch of a Rs 427-crore Government of India scheme to promote usage of geotechnical textiles in the northeastern region of India, in March 2015. He said that this scheme would provide support for use of geotextiles in road construction, slope stabilisation and water reservoirs. He expressed satisfaction at the completion of the construction of the airport access road at Imphal, using geotextiles. He said that approval has been given for 13 water reservoir projects in Manipur and Tripura, and for two projects in road construction and slope stabilisation in the two states, all employing geotextiles.
Gangwar said that 44 demonstration centres at a total cost of Rs 8.17 crore have been approved, in order to promote agrotextiles in Northeast region; out of this, 23 demonstration centers have started functioning. In addition, 263 agrotextile kits have been distributed to farmers in Manipur and Mizoram.
Gangwar said that a pilot scheme has been approved in order to promote agrotextiles in other parts of India.
He said that two demonstration centres are being set up under the scheme in drought-affected areas in Amravati district of Maharashtra. Besides this, 60 farmers in Amravati have been identified for distribution of agrotextile kits.
The Minister said that the Ministry of Textiles has set up six focus incubation centres at a cost of Rs 17.4 crore.