TCF POST Report
New Delhi: India’s technical textiles sector is experiencing significant growth, with exports more than tripling over the last decade. Minister of State for Textiles and External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, announced this at the Sportech Bharat Vision 2047 conference in New Delhi on Tuesday. Exports from this sector rose from ₹8,827 crore in FY 2013–14 to ₹28,392 crore in FY 2024-25, aligning with the government’s goal to establish India as a global hub for the industry, he informed.
Regarding the progress of the National Technical Textiles Mission, Joint Secretary Manisha Chatterjee stated that the initiative has entered a commercialization phase, shifting its focus from research to market adoption.
To reduce dependence on imported high-performance sports textiles, the ministry has approved six Sportech research projects and one start-up, with a continued focus on strengthening testing infrastructure, standardization, and support for MSMEs.
Experts at the conference outlined the sector’s future. Dr. Abhijeet Mukherjee (IIT Delhi) identified Sportstech companies as key drivers of innovation for activewear and technical textiles, noting that sports are increasingly a viable career choice globally. Meanwhile, Dr. Harish K. Chatterjee (Wool Research Association) stressed that India’s growth depends on expanding its synthetic fiber base and maintaining government support.
Debabrata Ghosh of Barmag India projected that the country’s activewear yarn market will grow at a CAGR of over 10% between 2026 and 2035. Ghosh pointed to the benefits of the India–UK Free Trade Agreement and stressed the necessity of utilizing advanced bi-component fibre technologies to cement India’s status as a global sourcing hub for high-value sportech textiles.
On being asked to comment on the sidelines of the announcement by India’s Union Minister, Ayanangsha Maitra, PhD, Lead of thenewssite.in, said, “What amazes me is the small even Tier IV towns’ entrepreneurs, not necessarily the Thirupur dynasts (Textile fame Tamil Nadu town), even from Jharkhand are scaling a horizon in the Textile markets. Local dreamers in the remotest part of India are getting connected to the industry and their rebellion is setting not just an example but a standard.”
