The textile industry despite poor market conditions has done well as compared to other sectors on export front. India’s textile exports remained flat at $40 billion in 2015-16 which is lower than the target of $47.5 billion set by the government for textile and clothing, Union Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar said after the inauguration of Technotex 2016 conference here.

The industry experts said that the subdued trend in exports was due to recessionary trends in Europe and the US markets. In 2014-15, textile exports stood at $41.4 billion.

However, about the technical textile sector, the country saw a huge growth potential in the sector.

This (technical textile) sector is still at its nascent stage but it has been recognized as the fastest-growing segment of the textile sector by the government and industry stakeholders alike. These functional textiles are used for their inherent performance enhancement properties in various fields, ranging from protective services, steel manufacturing, construction, agriculture, sports, nation security, food security etc.

Mr Gangwar pointed out that the growth rate of the technical textile sector was expected to be much higher.

Based on past trends of growth and estimated end-user segment growth, the Working Group on Technical Textiles for the 12th Five Year Plan (FYP) has projected the market size at Rs1.58 lakh crore ($28.82 billion) for the year 2016-17 with a growth rate of 20 per cent,” the Minister added.

According to the Minister, Technotex exemplifies the immense potential for trade and investment between India and foreign countries in technical textile sector.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was present, said that the technical textile sector in the country has tremendous potential for generating employment. It is consistently being looked upon for the future growth of the country.

While the (state) government has taken concrete initiatives in the area, the industry players also need to bring in large-scale innovations.

Gujarat and Karnataka are participating as partner states at Technotex 2016, the three-day exhibition and international conference which has attracted over 150 exhibitors and will be showcasing a varied collection of technical textiles from the various subsectors of the industry