New Delhi, December 5:
The Ministry of Textiles has intensified efforts to promote agro-textiles as part of India’s agricultural productivity and sustainability push, with 14 dedicated research projects approved under the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM). The information was shared by Minister of State for Textiles Pabitra Margherita in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
Launched in 2020, the NTTM aims to strengthen the country’s technical textiles sector, including agro-textiles that play a crucial role in improving crop output, resilience and farm efficiency. As part of the initiative, a Climate-Smart Agro-Textile Demonstration Centre was set up in Navsari, Gujarat, in December 2024 at a cost of ₹3.73 crore. Operated by the Synthetic & Art Silk Mills’ Research Association (SASMIRA), the centre offers live demonstrations, farmer training and awareness programmes. So far, 576 farmers have been trained in the facility.
The Mission focuses on four key areas — research and innovation, market development, export promotion and skilling — to expand the use of technical textiles across the agriculture sector. The approved projects under NTTM cover a wide spectrum, including insecticide-integrated agronets, biodegradable mulch, natural fibre–based crop protection fabrics, eco-friendly packaging, smart agro-textiles and technologies utilising jute, banana fibre, sun hemp and Himalayan fibres.
Institutions involved in these projects include IIT Delhi, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Indore, IIT Kanpur, CSIR–CLRI, ICAR, DRDO’s Defence Research Laboratory, NITRA, WRA, SITRA and SASMIRA, among others.
The government said the expanded R&D support is expected to enhance productivity, reduce input costs, improve climate resilience and accelerate the adoption of sustainable farming practices across India.
