Technical textiles use in govt.

projects gets
push
Technical textiles or functional textiles, considered a sunrise sector in the country, is
all set for demand taking off for products such as geo and agro textiles.
“Technical textiles is a thrust area for the Government because of the value addition
involved,” said Textile Commissioner Kavita Gupta. “It can be used in infrastructure
projects, including ports, roads, and railways, and in sectors such as agriculture. We
want to promote use of textile products that will improve productivity, health
standards, and infrastructure,” she said.
Geo textiles, for example, are permeable fabrics that used in association with soil and
which have the ability to separate and filter, while agro-textiles used in shading and
in weed and insect control.
In an effort to increase use of technical textiles in Government projects, she said,
“We are trying to promote interface with other ministries. The Textiles Minister has
spoken to four ministers so far and will be speaking to more.” Union Textiles
Minister Smriti Zubin Irani has spoken to Agriculture, Urban Development, Health,
and Surface Transport ministers and expected to have discussions with defence,
railways, and heavy industries ministers too.
The aim is to create awareness, promote use of technical textile products, and then
ensure the usage mandated in at least some areas. “Development and use of products
have to go up. Simultaneously, standards are being created,” she said.
Functional textiles can be woven or non-woven. Automobile, geo, medical,
industrial, and agro textiles are among the range of products that made in the country.
Foreign Direct Investments are also coming in, especially for geo textiles. There are
a large number of units that are into production of items such as non-woven carry
bags or wipes too.
TUFS support
The Textile Commissioner said that the number of larger industries involved in the
manufacture of various technical textile products estimated to be about 2,500. Close
to 1,000 of these have received Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme support.
Industrial textiles (such as filtration fabric) and made-ups (home textiles) have taken
off. “Geo (textiles used in road works) and agro textiles will [also] take off. Smart
textiles (sensor embedded textiles) is another potential area,” she said.
According to K.S. Sundararaman, vice-chairman of Indian Technical Textile
Association, technical textiles is a fragmented sector with several small and medium-
scale industries manufacturing specialised products. “It is difficult to give a definite
 number on the number of units, production, etc. But, a majority of them are in the
SME sector,” he said.
The main challenges for technical textiles in the country are awareness among
consumers, need for technology and knowledge about it among entrepreneurs, the
investments and time needed to be innovative and develop applications, and raw
material availability.
“China is a generation ahead in production of technical textiles. But, their costs are
going up and this is an opportunity for India,” he said. The Government should select
and support entrepreneurs to be sent abroad to learn about technical textiles, he
suggested.
http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/technical-textiles-use-in-govt-projects-
gets-push/article18056081.ece

Textile machinery to attract 18% tax under

GST
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate for textile machinery has been decided at 18
per cent by the GST Council at its two-day meeting, scheduled to conclude today in
Srinagar. The Council has broadly approved the GST rates for goods at nil rate and 5,
12, 18 and 28 per cent to levy on certain goods. Rates for textiles and footwear are
yet be decided.

As per the information uploaded after the GST Council’s decision on the website of
Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), the rate of 18 per cent been decided
for the following textile machinery mentioned along with their 4-digit HS code:

 8444 - Machines for extruding, drawing, texturing or cutting man-made textile

materials
 8445 - Machines for preparing textile fibres; spinning, doubling or twisting
machines and other machinery for producing textile yarns; textile reeling or winding
(including weft-winding) machines and machines for preparing textile yarns for use
on the machines of heading 8446 or 8447
 8446 - Weaving machines (looms)
 8447 - Knitting machines, stitchbonding machines and machines for making
gimped yarn, tulle, lace, embroidery, trimmings, braid or net and machines for
tufting
 8448 - Auxiliary machinery for use with machines of heading 84.44, 84.45, 84.46
or 84.47 (for example, dobbies, Jacquards, automatic stop motions, shuttle changing
mechanisms); parts and accessories suitable for use solely or principally with the
machines of this heading or of heading 8444, 8445,8446 or 8447 (for example,
spindles and spindles flyers, card clothing, combs, extruding nipples, shuttles, healds
and heald frames, hosiery needles)
 8449 - Machinery for the manufacture or finishing of felt or nonwovens in the
piece or in shapes, including machinery for making felt hats; blocks for making hats
 8451 - Machinery (other than machines of heading 8450) for washing, cleaning,
wringing, drying, ironing, pressing (including fusing presses), bleaching, dyeing,
dressing, finishing, coating or impregnating textile yarns, fabrics or made up textile
articles and machines for applying the paste to the base fabric or other support used
in the manufacture of floor covering such as linoleum; machines for reeling,
unreeling, folding, cutting or pinking textile fabrics
 9024 - Machines and appliances for testing the hardness, strength,
compressibility, elasticity or other mechanical properties of textiles.

"As per the announced GST rate, there is no drastic difference in the existing
purchase and sales of machineries. Earlier also, the rate for machinery was 12.5 per
cent with 5 per cent VAT that totaled to 17.5 per cent. With 18 per cent GST on
machinery, there is neither loss nor gain. However, it is too early to say anything as
we are yet to have the rates for services and textiles," CB Chandrashekar, CFO,
Lakshmi Machine Works Limited.
Home textile products wholly made of quilted textile materials will attract 12 per
cent tax under the new tax regime.
http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textile-news/textile-machinery-to-attract-18-tax-
under-gst-205889-newsdetails.htm

Textiles India 2017: Industry leaders raise

concerns over impact of GST on exports
A day after the goods and services tax (GST) roll-out, concerns regarding its
implementation were shared by various industry leaders who took part in conferences
and technical sessions at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, where the 3-day
global mega trade show ‘Textiles India 2017’ concluded on Sunday.
At a conference on ‘India as a Global Sourcing Hub & Investment Destination’,
convened to discuss challenges in the textile sector, Gautam Nair, chairperson of
Matrix Clothing, said: “The GST implementation has brought in serious uncertainty,
particularly to exporters. Will we be refunded all the embedded taxes, what about
those taxes not covered under GST?”
He added: “Whereas a bulk of the world market is in synthetics, India competes in
cotton and related segments, while China straddles the whole market place. Labour
laws are a huge constraint deterring large-scale corporate investment and the sector
gets no duty advantages to EU and Canada unlike our competitors like Sri Lanka,
Pakistan, Vietnam and Bangladesh.”
Rakesh Mohan Joshi, faculty at Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, said that GST
implementation remained a concern for the industry at large. He said a study titled
‘Challenges & Strategies to Promote India as a Sourcing Destination for Textiles’
found that India’s textile exports have dropped since 2014 and were pegged at $35.4
billion with 4.89 per cent of global market share.
He said that while India has bettered its textile exports, the gap between India and
China has widened. Sunil Arora, managing director of Impulse International, also
cautioned over industry’s concerns on GST implementation while giving the buyers’
perspective at the session.

http://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/textiles-india-2017-industry-
leaders-raise-concerns-over-impact-of-gst-on-exports-4732474/

Technical textile market to grow at 12% CAGR:

FICCI
India's technical textiles market, currently estimated at Rs 1 lakh crore, is expected to
grow at 12 per cent per annum, according to a study.

The size of technical textiles market is currently estimated at Rs 1 lakh crore and it is
expected to grow at 12 per cent per annum.

The country is expected to play a key role in shaping the future of the sector by
diversifying towards non-woven technical textiles and forging global partnerships
with counterparts, said the report by top industry body FICCI.
An international conference on technical textiles, `Technotex-2017', began here
today. The three-day meet has been organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of
Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and Ministry of Textiles.

"Technical textile offers immense potential and has been termed as a sunrise industry
in India. With sufficient investments into the technology, the industry would grow
exponentially.

"Karnataka and Maharashtra governments have put in ample efforts to utilise their
resources and unleash the potential in the textiles sector," Karnataka minister for
textiles Rudrappa Lamani said at the meet.

The conference-cum-exhibition this year has drawn in more than 165 exhibitors, who
are showcasing a varied collection of technical textiles.

The meet, where 22 countries are participating, has pavilions of China and Taiwan.

Exploring bigger business opportunities with India, eight Taiwanese companies

producing high-end innovative technical, functional, performance and industrial
textiles and accessories showcased their products at the exhibition.

"Taiwan's textile sector is the leader in technology innovations and manufacturing in

the world and it can fulfil India's requirements.

"We are confident that collaborations between Taiwan and Indian companies will
lead to better trade relations," Taiwan Textile Federation Vice-President Judy Yang
said.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from
an agency feed.)

http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report-technical-textile-market-to-grow-at-12-cagr-
ficci-2398476

INDIAN MEMBRANES MARKET TO

GROW AT CAGR OF 14% DURING 2014-19

The membranes market in India is largely dominated by the leading global

membrane manufacturers. These manufacturers are importing membranes from their
manufacturing facilities located outside the country. These international players, with
their high expertise and technical know-how, are targeting conventional as well as
other potential applications of membranes in different industrial and commercial
processes. Currently, there are only two domestic players involved in manufacturing
membranes in India. Permionics Membranes Pvt. Ltd., based in Gujarat,
manufactures reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration membranes. The other India-based
membrane manufacturer is Pune-based Membrane Filters India Pvt. Ltd., which is
engaged in production of ultrafiltration membranes. However, the combined market
share of both the players is quite negligible compared to other leading global players
operating in India.
According to the recently published report by TechSci Research, “India Membranes
Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2019,” the Indian membranes market is projected
to grow at a CAGR of around 14% during 2014-19, exhibiting a two-fold increase, in
revenue terms, over the forecast period. The rising application of reverse osmosis
(RO) membranes is one of the key growth drivers for the India’s membranes market.
High TDS level in various regions of India is pushing the demand for RO
membranes. Consequently, the RO membranes segment would continue its
domination in the country’s membranes market in the coming years. Growing
desalination market is also augmenting the sales of membranes in the country. India
had about 157 RO based desalination plants in 2011 and this number is projected to
rise further over the next five years, which is expected to create more opportunities
for the membrane suppliers.
“On account of increasing demand for water treatment technologies from the
industrial sector in India, the membrane demand, especially of RO membranes, is
expected to robustly increase over the next five years. Moreover, the domestic water
purifiers segment is also going to significantly contribute towards boosting
membrane sales in the country,” said Karan Chechi, research director with TechSci
Research, a research based global management consulting firm.
“India Membranes Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2019” has evaluated the future
growth potential of India Membranes Market and provides statistics and information
on market structure, industry behavior and trends. The report includes membranes
market projections and demand forecasting. The report is intended to provide cutting-
edge market intelligence and help decision makers to take sound investment
evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyzes the emerging trends along
with essential drivers, challenges and opportunities in the Indian membranes market.
https://www.wwdmag.com/filters-membrane/indian-membranes-market-grow-cagr-
14-during-2014-19
Only 10% of Indian textile items belong to
technical textiles: Textile Commissioner

Only 10 per cent of Indian textile products belong to technical textiles compared to
developed nations such as Germany where 50 per cent of textile products belong to
technical textile category, informed Dr. Kavita Gupta, Textile Commissioner,
Ministry of Textiles at the recently concluded 57th Joint Technological Conference.

Organized by Bombay Textile Research Association (BTRA), the annual conference

attended by Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association (ATIRA), South
India Textile Research Association (SITRA) and Northern India Textile Research
Association (NITRA).

Kavita stressed on the importance of the link between academia and the industry. “In
order to grow in high value technical textiles segment, we should focus on research
that is demand-based and market-driven. Moreover, ability to translate research
output in to commercialization is the need of the hour,” she added.

http://news.apparelresources.com/textile-mills-news/only-10-of-indian-textile-items-
belong-to-technical-textiles-textile-commissioner/

GST (Goods and Service Tax) rates from

July 1
Good Type GST
12 . 5%

1. filters (fabric filters, bag

filters, vacuum filters)
2. Water filters of all varieties
 and descriptions

https://natgrp.wordpress.com/2017/04/21/gst-goods-and-service-tax-rates-
from-july-1/

Techtextil India 2017

Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt. Ltd. is going to organized Techtextil India
2017 is going to be taken place from 13-15 September 2017 at Bombay Convention
and Exhibition Centre, Goregaon (East). With confident plans of expansion, the 2017
variation has way more in retailer. Venturing into its 6th variation, Techtextil India
will amalgamate renowned figures from throughout the textile fraternity to discover
current applied sciences and plan forward for future trends. 

http://tradeshows.tradeindia.com/techtextil-india/