Technical textiles can play an important role in the nation’s social and economic arena, Textiles Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar said here on Friday.He was speaking at the curtain raiser event of Technotex 2016 organised by the government, in association with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).One of the main objectives of Technotex 2016 to make the country a manufacturing hub in the area of technical textiles, under the “Make in India” initiative of the government.Talking about the launch of the Rs.427 crore government scheme to promote usage of geotechnical textiles in the northeastern India in March 2015, the minister said this scheme would provide support for use of geotextiles in road construction, slope stabilization 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 stabilization in the two states, all employing geotextiles.
Gangwar said 44 demonstration centers at a total cost of Rs.8.17 crore have been approved, in order to promote agro-textiles in the northeast region and out of this, 23 demonstration centres have started functioning. In addition, 263 agro-textile kits have been distributed to farmers in Manipur and Mizoram.The minister also said the Technology Mission on Technical Textiles (TMTT) has been extended for two years, for 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, and eight centres of excellence have come up under the scheme, where facilities for testing, research and development and skill development in technical textiles are being set up.