Global Market Trends in Technical Textiles

In an exclusive interview with Industry Outlook, Shailendra Pandey, President and Business Head of Banswara Syntex, shares his vision for the future of India’s technical textile sector.

He highlights the industry’s rapid transformation driven by increasing domestic capabilities, strategic global partnerships, and a growing focus on sustainability and innovation. With government subsidies, rising investments in R&D, and improved quality standards, he believes India is well-positioned to become a global leader in eco-friendly technical textiles.

With global demand for high-performance materials rising, how are Indian technical textile manufacturers positioning themselves to capture niche opportunities in protective, medical, and geotextiles markets?

The Indian textile industry is experiencing growth, but the pace has not been sufficient to capture a significant share of the global market, particularly in the technical textile segment. This is largely due to limited investment in advanced technologies. Instead of adopting high-tech machinery, many manufacturers are attempting to adapt existing setups to meet industry demands, which hamper rapid expansion.

Despite these challenges, several companies have formed strategic partnerships with international brands to strengthen their technical textile capabilities. For example, collaborations with global groups like Tesco and Indian firms such as Banswara have enabled joint manufacturing efforts in this segment. Additionally, technical support from companies like Ghazi has helped some manufacturers develop their product offerings.

Gradually, domestic production of specialized technical textiles is increasing.  Moreover, companies are supplying meta-aramid fabrics to the Indian government and providing flame-retardant treated curtains to Indian Railways, as well as exporting similar products to markets in the UK and the USA.

However, the industry continues to face significant challenges in meeting global quality standards. This reflects gaps in both skill levels and technological infrastructure. Consequently, there is a strong need for greater focus and investment in this segment.

From an industry perspective, the technical textile sector offers better profit margins compared to the highly competitive and low-margin commodity and general textile markets. Many organizations have experience in this area but often prioritize general textiles due to familiarity. With the growing recognition of the opportunities in technical textiles, it is expected that India will see substantial growth in this segment in the near future.

What supply chain vulnerabilities, particularly in raw material sourcing and export competitiveness, are currently restricting India’s technical textiles from scaling aggressively in global markets?

India does have the capability to manufacture certain raw materials domestically, but many high-performance fibers, such as glass fiber and meta-aramid are still being imported, primarily from European markets, where prices are significantly higher. At present, these types of advanced fibers are not being produced in India at scale.

Some Indian companies have recently started developing such fibers. For example, Aditya Birla has initiated production of certain specialty fibers. In a joint venture involving Aditya Birla and a manufacturing company supplying to the Indian government, both parties had to compromise on profit margins due to the elevated cost of the raw material.

Notably, specialty fibers and yarns used in technical textiles need to be made more widely available within India. In the initial phase, government support, such as subsidies on these specialty fibers would be essential. Such measures would help manufacturers establish products in the domestic market. Over time, this could lead to the development of these fibers and yarns within India, ensuring better alignment with product requirements and improving availability for the technical textile industry.

How are regulatory frameworks, both domestic quality standards and international certifications, influencing India’s ability to penetrate high-value global technical textile segments in 2025?

Most state governments in India are currently offering substantial subsidies for the textile sector, covering both general textiles and technical textiles. These incentives are significant and present a strong opportunity for industry growth.

This is considered an ideal time for the Indian textile market, including the technical textile segment, to expand. With the support of government schemes, manufacturers have the chance to invest in high-tech machinery and modernize their operations. Many state governments are not only offering subsidies on machinery but are also providing land and creating one-stop solutions to facilitate industrial development. From an industry perspective, these supportive measures are creating a favorable environment, and it is expected that the technical textile segment will witness considerable growth in the near future.

In advanced applications like defense, aerospace, and automotive, how are Indian firms leveraging R&D under the Make in India initiative to match global technical textile leaders?

Most specialized fabrics, such as those used in aeronautical and automotive applications, were being imported from Europe. Indian manufacturers, including some specific companies, have now started producing these types of fabrics domestically and are supplying them to the Indian government.

Despite this progress, challenges remain in the export market. International buyers often have several reservations. For instance, they typically insist on the use of fibers sourced from their own countries and, in many cases, demand complete transparency into the entire end-to-end production process. This includes requests to share core technologies, which raises concerns. From an industry perspective, it seems unusual that, in order to collaborate with international companies, Indian manufacturers are expected to disclose their proprietary processes and technology.

Nevertheless, India represents a large and promising market. Many companies are now entering or expanding within this space, and there is optimism across the industry that the technical textile market will continue to grow in the near future.

Also Read: From Efficiency to Excellence: Redefining Competitiveness with the Global Competitiveness Manufacturing Framework (GCMF)

What role do sustainability requirements, including circular textile practices and eco-certifications, play in shaping India’s competitiveness across export-focused technical textile categories?

Sustainability has become a major focus for customers across the board, whether in general textiles or technical textiles. Buyers are increasingly demanding products that support recyclability, recyclability, and come with credible certifications. Most vertically integrated Indian textile companies are also aligning themselves with sustainable practices, which are seen as a positive direction for industry growth in India.

This growing emphasis on sustainability is contributing to improvements in both the ecological and industrial ecosystem of the country. For example, Banswara is recognized as one of the most sustainable textile companies in India. 

Banswara monitors key environmental metrics such as carbon footprint and the HIGG Index. The company also operates with a zero liquid discharge policy and relies heavily on recycled materials in its production processes. However, when it comes to technical textiles, particularly those that use polyester filaments, India still faces challenges. The domestic production of recycled polyester remains limited, which forces manufacturers to depend on outsourced models and import recycled materials from countries like China.

Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, how do you see India’s technical textile sector evolving as global demand shifts toward smart, sustainable, and functional fabrics?

The way India has positioned itself in the technical textile field over the past two years clearly indicates that this is a fast-growing market, and the country is on track to capture a significant share in this segment. In particular, India has made strong progress in the automotive textile sector. Earlier, most automotive companies were importing fabrics, but now, several manufacturing units have been established within India, producing products that meet global quality standards. This marks a positive shift for the industry.

However, in specialized sectors such as aeronautical and aerospace textiles, there is still considerable room for development. While Indian companies are actively collaborating with global players to enhance quality, there remains a need for increased focus and targeted efforts. Significant investment is already being made in research and development, and companies are dedicating both intellectual and financial resources to improve product standards. Moreover, there is strong optimism that the technical textile segment, especially in high-end applications, will grow more rapidly than any other segment within the Indian textile industry in the coming years.