The Ministry of Textiles has approved 31 start-ups under the Grant for Research and Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT) scheme, supporting innovation in technical textiles with a total project cost of ₹15.40 crore, including ₹13.65 crore as the Government of India’s contribution.
The GREAT scheme has been implemented under the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) since 2023 to strengthen India’s technical textiles start-up ecosystem by helping young innovators, scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs convert research ideas into commercially viable technologies and products.
According to information shared by Minister of State for Textiles Shri Pabitra Margherita in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the approved start-ups span ten states and Union Territories, covering advanced materials, smart textiles, sustainable products, healthcare applications and high-performance composites.
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Delhi Lead Start-up Approvals
Among the approved projects, Maharashtra leads with seven start-ups, followed by Tamil Nadu with six and Delhi with five. Gujarat has four approved projects, Uttar Pradesh three, Karnataka two, while Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand have one approved project each.
Government assistance of up to ₹50 lakh per approved start-up has been provided depending on project requirements. Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Coimbatore, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Ghaziabad and Kanpur are among the major innovation centres receiving support.
Focus on Smart, Sustainable and High-Performance Textiles
The approved start-ups represent a wide range of technical textile innovations, including:
- Smart textiles using graphene-based materials
- Temperature-responsive and self-sanitising fabrics
- Energy-harvesting wearable textiles
- Shape-memory healthcare textiles
- Automotive, defence and construction composites
- Hemp-based bioplastic composites
- Biodegradable tyre yarns
- Algae-derived leather alternatives
- Antimicrobial textile technologies
- Surgical simulation products
These projects aim to accelerate commercialisation while strengthening India’s domestic technical textile manufacturing capabilities.
Academic Institutions Receive Infrastructure Support
Alongside start-up funding, the Ministry is also strengthening technical textile education and research infrastructure through the General Guidelines for Enabling of Academic Institutes in Technical Textiles under NTTM.
Educational institutions across multiple states have received grants for laboratory development, specialised equipment, research facilities and skill development.
Major beneficiaries include institutions in:
- Tamil Nadu
- Gujarat
- Maharashtra
- Karnataka
- Andhra Pradesh
- Delhi
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Uttar Pradesh
- West Bengal
- Madhya Pradesh
- Jammu & Kashmir
- Puducherry
- Assam
- Bihar
Several institutes have received grants of up to ₹10 crore to establish advanced technical textile research infrastructure.
Nationwide Innovation Ecosystem
The Ministry stated that the GREAT scheme is open to eligible technical textile start-ups across India, including innovators from districts that have not yet received approvals. One proposal from Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, has been approved, while no proposal has been received from Palnadu district under the scheme.
To promote innovation and industry collaboration, the National Technical Textiles Mission regularly organises exhibitions, workshops, seminars and outreach programmes where researchers and start-ups can showcase technologies and connect with industry stakeholders.
The Ministry said these initiatives are intended to accelerate commercialisation of research outcomes and encourage greater industry participation in India’s growing technical textiles sector.