The Ministry of Textiles is strengthening India’s technical textiles education ecosystem under the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) by introducing specialised undergraduate and postgraduate courses, upgrading academic infrastructure and expanding skill development programmes across the country.
Under the “General Guidelines for Enabling of Academic Institutes in Technical Textiles Education in India: For Private and Public Institutes,” the Ministry has introduced 59 specialised courses at the undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) levels. The initiative aims to promote technical textiles education across a wider network of public and private academic institutions, covering various application areas of the sector.
To support quality education and research, the Ministry has approved 47 proposals from technical universities and educational institutions across India. These projects involve a cumulative financial assistance of ₹216.60 crore for upgrading laboratory infrastructure, procuring advanced equipment and training faculty members to strengthen teaching and research capabilities.
The scheme remains open to all eligible educational institutions nationwide, including those located in the Nabarangpur Lok Sabha Constituency. However, the Ministry informed that no proposal has been received from the constituency under the current guidelines.
In addition to academic programmes, the Ministry is also implementing the “General Guidelines for Skill Development and Training of Candidates in Technical Textiles” under NTTM to enhance workforce capabilities across the industry.
The skill development initiative targets four key groups:
Undergraduate students
Unskilled individuals before employment
Existing industry professionals requiring upskilling or reskilling
Personnel working in technical textile application sectors
To ensure wider implementation, the Ministry has empanelled multiple Implementing Agencies (IAs), including Textile Research Associations, Centres of Excellence, Sector Skill Councils and industry organisations across various States and Union Territories.
These agencies are responsible for conducting training programmes, awareness campaigns and outreach activities through print, electronic and digital media to encourage participation from students and professionals across the country.
The initiative forms part of the Government’s broader strategy to develop a skilled workforce, strengthen industry-academia collaboration and accelerate the growth of India’s technical textiles sector.
The information was provided by Minister of State for Textiles Shri Pabitra Margherita in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
