High potential seen in tech textile industry

Tag : Textile Patterns

Texas Tech University researchers predict a yearly growth of 13.3%for Indias nonwoven and technical textile industry, which is morethan twice the annual 5% to 6% expected growth patterns in theUnited States and Europe.
The study, done at the Nonwoven and Advanced Materials Laboratoryat The Institute of Environmental and Human Health, was conductedby Seshadri Ramkumar, an assistant professor and expert in thefield of nonwoven fabric technology, and by Appachi Arunachalam, avisiting scholar from India. It measured growth opportunities ofthe nonwoven and technical textile industry in India. Theirfindings, contained in a report titled India Rising: Opportunitiesin Nonwovens and Technical Textiles, show the growth and potentialof Indias technical textile industry and the consumption ofnonwoven technical textiles from 2007-2050, which is derived fromGDP growth data using World Bank Statistics. This study waspublished in leading international textile magazines such asNonwovens Industry and Textile World Asia.
It coincides with the effort of the Government of India to create aNational Technological Mission to spearhead the development of thetechnical textile industry in India. In this era of globalization,such a study will be useful for the US textile industries to seekjoint ventures and collaboration with the emerging market,Ramkumar said. By 2035, the growth rate of the nonwoven andtechnical textile industry will be exponential. However, with thenew government initiatives in India, the growth rate will be muchfaster. The report highlights the growth pattern and governmentinitiatives such as the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme andSEZ, he added.
Already, India has initiated steps toward the establishment of fourcenters of excellence: for medical textiles, geotextiles,agrotextiles and protective textiles. This offers a businessopportunity for US and European textile industries to expand andseek new markets. Players such as North Carolina-based Glen Ravenand Finland-based Ahlstrom are utilising this new opportunity. Forthe past four years, researchers at the laboratory have worked tobridge the nonwoven and technical textile industry of developedeconomies such as the US and the emerging economy such as India.