The meeting with Shri. Suresh Prabhu, Hon'ble

Minister of Commerce & Industry to enhance the

MEIS rates for export of Technical Textiles and thMade-ups was held on 4 January 2018 at New

Delhi. The meeting was attended by Mr. Pramod

Khosla, Chairman and Mr. Pankaj Kapoor, Director,

ITTA. For inclusion/enhancement of MEIS benefits

The meeting of the Sub-Committee of Technotex

2018- Exhibition and Conference under the

Chairpersonship of the Textile Commissioner, Dr. thKavita Gupta, IAS was held on 16 January, 2018 at

the Conference Hall of the Office of the Textile

stThe 21 meeting of Geo-synthetics sectional

thcommittee-TX 30 in joint session with 10 meeting

of Industrial fabrics sectional committee-TX 33 was thheld on 9 Jan, 2018 under the Chairmanship of Dr.

A. N. Desai at Conference Room, Andheri. As the

of TT items & Made-ups referring the ITTA's

representation to the Commerce Ministry (sent on

25/09/2017 & 28/11/2017). After detailed

deliberation, the Commerce Minister Shri. Prabhu

accepted it and said that he will recommend the

same to Finance Ministry for final approval.

Commissioner, Mumbai. As a member of Committee

ED, ITTA attended the meeting. The overall planning

of the Technotex 2018 was presented by FICCI which

will be held at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai th thon 28 -29 June 2018. ITTA will support this event.

member of committee ED, ITTA attended the

meeting. The feedbacks submitted by ITTA members

to BIS were discussed and necessary actions were

taken.

Highlights of TXD 33 - Industrial Fabrics:

i. The committee requested Dr. Anup Rakshit,

ED, ITTA to provide the details of 3 Industrial

Technical Textile Manufacturer for becoming

the member of TX 33.

Highlights of TXD 30 - Geo-synthetics:

i. The committee scrutinized all the proposals

and decided to prioritize the following topics

for formulation of New Indian Standards:

Geosynthetics clay liners (GCL), Prefabricated

vertical drains (PVD), Geogrids & Test

methods to evaluate the performance

requirements of above products. The

committee constitute a small panel

to prepare the preliminary draft standards.

The composition of the above panel shall be as

follows:

a) Dr. Anup Rakshit (Convener), ITTA,

Mumbai

b) Shri V. K. Patil, BTRA, Mumbai

c) Dr. Deepak Manjunath, Geosynthetics

Testing Services Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad

d) Representative from Central Soil &

Materials Research Station, New

Delhi

e) Shri Shahrokh Bagl i , STRATA

Geosytems (India) Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai

f) Shri V Ravikanth, Reliance Industries

Limited

g) Dr. M. K. Talukdar, Kusumgar

Corporates Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai

h) Dr. Ratnakar Mahajan, Maccaferri

Environmental Solutions Pvt. Ltd

i) Representative from Ashapura Group

j) Shri J K Gupta from BIS, New Delhi

ii. The committee received the proposal from M/s

Texel Industries Limited for formulation an

Indian Standard on Geo-Synthetics- Reinforced

HDPE Geomembrane for Effluents and

decided to

Chemical Resistance Lining – Specification.

After discussion, the committee constituted a

small panel to prepare the preliminary draft

standard as given below:

1. Dr. Anup Rakshit (Convener), ITTA, Mumbai

2. Shri Bhupender Mehta, Texel Industries

Limited, Kalol

3. Shri V N Gore, In personal capacity

4. Shri J K Gupta, BIS, New Delhi

Finalized for Printing-

i. The Committee scrutinized the draft

amendment No. 1 to 'IS 16352:2015

Geosynthetics - High density polyethylene

(HDPE) geomembranes for lining -

Specification' along with the comments

received from industry and after detailed

deliberations, the committee decided that

the above draft standard shall be finalized

for publication as Indian Standard after

incorporating the some changes.

For wide circulation-

i. ISO/TC 221 'Geosynthetics' and decided to

adopt ISO 12958:2010 'Geotextiles and

geotextile-related products- Determination

of water flow capacity in their plane'.

ii. IS 16346:2015 'Geosynthetics - Method of

Test for Evaluation of Stress Crack

Resistance of Polyolefin Geomembranes

Using Notched Constant Tensile Load Test'

shall be prepared based on ISO/FDIS 24576

'Geosynthetic - Test method for determining

the resistance of polymeric geosynthetic

barriers to environmental stress cracking'.

thThe panel formed by BIS met on 18 January, 2018 at

Johnson & Johnson Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai for finalizing

the draft standard of Sanitary Napkins. Dr. Anup

Rakshit, ED and Mr Nirav Mehta, Director, ITTA

attended the meeting. The feedbacks submitted by

ITTA members to BIS were discussed and draft was

modified as under-

a) Size of sanitary napkins was discussed in

thThe meeting was held on 24 January, 2018 through

teleconference on preparation of Draft standards for

Surgical Gown and Drape. Dr. Anup Rakshit, ED, ITTA

attended the meeting as a panel member. ITTA

requested BIS to invite following Meditech

manufacturers to join the teleconference to get their

inputs. BIS accepted it & they were invited to join the

meeting-

1. Cdr. Manoj Kumar, CEO of Hitex Healthcare

Pvt. Ltd.

2. Mr. Ravi Kumar, Partner, Dispowear Sterite

Co.

3. Mr. Nilesh Shah, Director, Primewear

Hygiene (India) Product Ltd.

Major points discussed-

a) ISO 12345 working draft for both single-use

and reusable surgical clothing and drapes

was discussed, which has been developed

by Technical Committees- ISO/TC 94 and SC

13 and is under wide circulation.

b) The scope of this ISO draft gives information

on the characteristics and performance

requirements for surgical drapes, surgical

gowns, other biological protective apparel

detail and members were asked to submit

their comments. SITRA will compile the

comments received from members.

b) J & J will collect the Test procedure from

other manufacturers (like P&G, KC, etc) to

calculate the Total Absorbent Capacity from

the members and will be discuss during the

next meeting.

and equipment covers for the purpose to

create a sterile field, that are labeled with

barrier performance claims and intended to

minimize the transmission of infective

agents between patients and clinical staff in

health care facilities (e.g., single-use and re-

usable surgical gowns, decontamination

garments, isolation gowns, aprons, sleeve

protectors, hoods and protective shoe

covers).

c) It is recommended that aprons, sleeve

protectors and hoods to be included in the

scope of Draft BIS standard- TXD 36(11695)

& TXD 36(11696), since they are included in

ISO draft and the specs. of these products are

very similar to drapes & Gown.

d) The recommendations of the sub-committee

will be submitted to BIS TX-36 committee

and once accepted, it may be shared with ISO

Technical Committee.

thThe 5 meeting of the Working Group to formulate

Standards/ Technical Regulations of Four Identified ndTextile Products was held on 22 January, 2018 at

Board Room, Textiles Committee under the

Chairmanship of Shri Ajit B. Chavan, Secretary,

Textiles Committee. The products identified are (1)

High Tenacity Yarn of Nylon or other Polyamides (HS

540210) (2) Textured Yarn of Polyester (HS

540233) (3) Fabrics Impregnated, Coated, etc. with

Polyurethane (HS 590320) and (4) Fabrics

Impregnated, Coated with other Plastics (HS

590390). As a member of Working Group, Dr. Anup

Rakshit, ED, ITTA attended the meeting.

After exhaustive deliberation on High Tenacity Yarn

of Nylon draft, the working group decided as follows

-

i. The cha ra cter is t ic such a s Tw ist ,

Identification of material & Sample size

should be incorporated in the draft.

ii.The feedbacks received from the members of

ITTA: - Entremonde Polycoaters Ltd.,

Kusumgar Corportaes, Superfil Products (P)

Ltd. & SRF Limited were incorporated.

ii.The High Tenacity Yarn of Nylon draft was

almost finalized. This regulation once

finalized will be applicable for import &

domestic manufacturers.

Twinery, the innovation arm of MAS Holdings, has

announced the launch of Nova – the high visibility

jacket with on-demand illumination, designed

specifically for runners and outdoor enthusiasts.

The flexible, lightweight jacket is designed to

become an essential addition to every outdoor

enthusiast's wardrobe, and one that could help save

a runner, cyclist or hiker's life. Nova features patent-

pending LightGuide technology that is embedded

into the fabric and activates on demand to

illuminate people, and ensure high visibility

protection for up to eight hours. A person wearing

the Nova jacket will be visible from a distance of 450

feet – the length of nearly three football fields.

The LightGuide technology also allows the jacket to

be fully machine washable, ensuring that runners

do not have to sacrifice comfort or convenience for

safety. Nova is powered by a detachable, tiny half-

ounce rechargeable battery that is concealed in a

hidden pocket in the front of the jacket. “Because

traditional reflectors are not efficient in low light

conditions or blind-spots, 40% of runners are at

high risk of injury due to night time motor

accidents,” said Mr. Sid Amalean, co-founder of

Nova. “With Nova, people can focus on their run

without worrying about personal safety, secure in

the knowledge that they are visible to oncoming

traffic.”

The jacket is designed with a hideaway hoodie and

thumb holes for comfort. For runners who need their

music on the move, the jacket has an earphone cord

hole to keep wires in place as they connect to a water-

resistant smartphone pocket that sits snug on the

sleeve.

[Source-https://www.prnewswire.com/news-

releases/twinery-introduces-nova-the-first-

essential-running-jacket-with-on-demand-

illumination-300564572.html]

Cifra, a leading company in technical solutions

dedicated to sportswear has innovated a capsule

collection with outstanding technological features

designed to meet the needs of the sports world and TM ®made with WKS technology and with EVO yarn by

Fulgar.

The yarns are created through a special process

which, through an exclusive weave, enables the

production of seamless garments which, in the event

of piercing or tearing, do not come apart.

Cifra has chosen excellent products for its cutting-®edge collection: the bio-based yarn EVO by Fulgar,

which guarantees maximum comfort and unique

performance, and the unique qualities of LYCRA

elastic fibre.

TMWKS technology allows a high reduction of waste,

c o m p a r e d t o t h e c l a s s i c

production of garments made according to the cut

& saw logic. The combination with the bio-based ®yarn EVO by Fulgar enhances its value in terms of

sustainability, making it possible to produce high-

performance, green and fully traceable garments.

TMWKS represents the most innovative and unique

technology, incorporating the high productivity of

the weave and the flexibility of the flat mesh shape.

It is completely suited to the production of high-

performance technical clothing and is ideal for

sportswear since it supports muscles and allows

the body to breathe. This technology can produce

infinite design possibilities: the

piezo-jacquard system enables the creation of a ®great variety of stitches. With EVO , Fulgar

inaugurates a new way of making yarns, in a perfect

synthesis between performance and environment. It

is an innovative bio-based yarn developed after

years of research and study of the highest

engineering standards.

[Source- http://www.fulgar.com/eng/tabloid/a-

new-cutting-edge-capsule-collection-by-cifra-

entirely-made-with-wks%E2%84%A2-

technology-and-with-evo-yarn-by-fulgar]

USA based Composite Advantage, a leader in

supplying innovative FRP products for the

infrastructure market, has supplied FRP rail

platform panels for the rehabilitation of two mini-

high accessibility platforms at the Massachusetts

Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) West Natick

station.

The structures make boarding easy for individuals

with disabilities. MBTA needed a high-

performance, corrosion-resistant replacement for

the structures and selected the company's fibre

reinforced polymer (FRP) FiberSPAN-R deck

panels. “Projects like these, especially those with

new applications for FRP, are a great chance for us

to learn more about a customer's operations.

These mini-high platforms are no exception,” the

company commented.

Composite Advantage fabricated the new FRP

panels to match the precast concrete panels that

formed the ramps and platform. The panels are

supported on concrete piers that were rebuilt to

remove the corroding caps. The panels had

attachment points for handrails that fit the same

locations as the previous railings. Panels bordering

the tracks were engineered to accommodate a

retractable edge that's used to handle trains with

different widths. The north and south platforms are

mirror images, and each platform contains six FRP

panels.

[Source-

http://www.insidecomposites.com/composite-

advantage-supplies-frp-panels-for-us-rail-station]

stIn the Union Budget 2018-19, presented on 1

February, 2018, by the Finance Minister, Arun

Jaitley. Following are the major highlights-

1. Union Budget proposed to provide higher

outlay of Rs. 7148 crore for the Textile sector

in 2018-19 as against Rs. 6251 Crore in

2017-18.

2. The Technology Up-gradation Fund

Scheme (ATUFS) receives a higher

allocation at Rs. 2300 crores for the

upcoming year as against Rs. 1956 crores in

2017-18. This is a welcome move and would

provide boost to capacity expansion in the

technical textile and other textile sectors.

3. Allocation under Remission of State

Levies (ROSL) has been increased to Rs.

2163.85 crores from Rs 1855 crores in FY

2017-18. This scheme includes the refund of

State Taxes to apparel exporters to make the

industry competitive. Industry has been

regularly asking to boost the ROSL incentive

from current 1.5% as they believe the tax

paid are not recovered fully.

4. Fund for Interest Equalization Scheme

has been more than doubled to Rs. 2500

crores for 2018-19 from Rs. 1100 crores

during 2017-18.

5. Integrated Scheme for Skill Development

for the textile sector receives a budget

allocation of Rs. 200 crores which is

operational for last several years.

6. The Budget has given a big thrust to

Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises

(MSMEs) to boost employment and

economic growth. A sum of Rs. 3794 crore

has been provided for giving credit support,

capital and interest subsidy and for

innovations.

7. Corporate tax rate reduced to 25% for the

companies having turnover upto Rs 250

crores. The increased turn over limit from Rs.

50 crore to Rs. 250 crore would benefit

majority of the textile sector.

8. Increased budgetary al location on

infrastructure for 2018-19 to Rs.5.97 lakh crore

against estimated expenditure of Rs.4.94 lakh

crore in 2017-18. The Government has also made

an all-time high allocation to rail and road sectors

which will increase the scope of use of Technical

Textile.

[Source - http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.

aspx?relid=176062]

Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, Hon'able Minister of Textiles

emphasized that the companies from ASEAN

nations could take advantage of India as a one-stop

sourcing destination for a diverse range of products

by setting up manufacturing bases here to cater to

the domestic market and exports.

Addressing the India-ASEAN: Weaving Textile

Relations show which was organized by FICCI in

association with the Ministries of Textiles and rdCommerce and Industry held on 23 January, 2018

in New Delhi. Smt. Irani said that partnership

between India and ASEAN was crucial for improving

the standard of textile manufacturing and providing

wage opportunities in both regions.

Shri. Anant Kumar Singh, Secretary, Ministry of

Textiles stated that India is strong and competitive

across the entire value chain starting from raw

materials to finished products. With a strong multi-

fibre base with an abundant supply of raw materials

like cotton, wool, silk, jute amd man-made fibres,

India enjoyed a distinct advantage of backward

integration which many countries do not possess.

Shri. Singh said “Though India has the unique

advantage of having the presence of the entire textile

value chain, its most exported items to ASEAN

consisting of cotton fibre, cotton yarn and fabrics

have not grown to the desired extent. This makes it

evident that we have not been able to explore and

leverage the strengths of our textile industry to the

fullest.

He also explained that ASEAN countries have a

unique position in the regional value chains and offer

a gateway for market access to China, North East Asia

and the EU for India through their various trade

agreements. Furthermore, there exists an

opportunity for ASEAN textile manufacturers to

invest in manufacturing in India to cater to both the

domestic market and exports. He said, adding that

the scope for investment in India was immense in the

entire value chain of synthetics, value added and

speciality fabrics, fabric processing and technical

textile.

[Source- http://ficci.in/pressrelease-

page.asp?nid=3001]

The State Government of Maharashtra has

announced a new textile policy for the term 2018-

2023.

1. State cabinet has approved a new textile

policy to attract investment of Rs 36,000

crore and generate 10 lakh jobs from all

textile sectors.

2. A 5% subsidy will be given to non-

traditional yarn production, textile

production and technical textile sector.

3. Such units will get power supply at

reasonable rates

4. 5% additional capital subsidy for investment

of Rs 500 crores or more and if it is the first

project in that Tehasil, further additional 5%

subsidy shall be payable.

5. The policy has proposed a 25% discount for

modernisation of plain power looms and

45% capital subsidy for processing units.

6. 10% additional subsidy will be given to

processing, technical textile, knitting,

hosiery and garmenting projects in

Vidarbha, Marathwada and Northern

Maharashtra.

7. Infrastructural development for textile

cluster and garment parks will be the major

focus area. It will also implement various

schemes worth Rs. 4,649 crores for the

industry.

8. The policy plans to give several non-fiscal

benefits to small garment manufacturing

units in the unorganized sector to boost its

marketability and productivity.

9. The policy has also prepared a proposal for

setting up a textile university in the Vidarbha

region.

[Source- http://www.maharashtratoday.in/

textile-policy-state-2018-2023/

https://apparelresources.com/business-

news/policy/maharashtra-india-govt-approves-

new-textile-policy/]

The National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad

has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)

with the Ahmedabad Textile Industry's Research

Association (ATIRA) for establishment of a

Materials and Product Innovation Centre (MAPIC)

that will help both the institutes in R&D and student

activities. The association will also help in exchange

of information and sharing of essential facilities

between both the organizations.

The MAPIC will be located at ATIRA and experts

from both institutions will work towards bringing

cost-effective, efficient and easy-to-use products for

mass usage. It will be focused mainly on

translational research in advanced composite

materials with natural/synthetic fibres for

application in automobiles, buildings, street

furniture, makeshift shelters and healthcare

products.

Experts will strengthen educational programmes at

both the institutions while continuously improving

and enhancing the ability to create something new.

[Source-

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/nationa

l/nid-atira-to-open-materials-

centre/article10017190.ece]

Strata Geosystems, a global leader in the soil

reinforcement industry, began construction for its

newest state-of-the-art manufacturing facility

aimed at meeting the growing demand for

geotechnical products. Since inception, Strata's

journey has been driven by innovation. Whether it is

using StrataGrid™ with coal-based pond ash or to

reinforce a vertical landfill, Strata's out-of-the-box

thinking has solved infrastructure challenges

around the world. A vision for manufacturing

superior quality products and building high

performance structures inspired the creation of the

new Rs. 100-Crore ($15M) manufacturing plant in

Gujarat. This reaffirms the company's loyalty

towards the 'Make in India' initiative.

To put things in perspective, Strata currently has a

dominant share of the geogrid market in India. At

current capacity levels, Strata will already

contribute 8 million sqm of the estimated 17 million

sqm domestic volume in 2017. However, under

P r i m e M i n i s t e r M o d i ' s l e a d e r s h i p , t h e

infrastructure sector in India has accelerated

significantly. Geogrid demand is expected to reach

nearly 19 million sqm in 2018. Strata's new facility

is being designed with a capacity of 20 million sqm in

its first phase, which will be seamlessly scaled up to

30 million sqm by 2020. The new facility will help

strengthen Strata's existing value offering of

providing integrated solutions in India including

geogrid supply, design, and construction.

The 150,000 sq.ft. modern facility will house the

next-generation of wide-width machines, adopt an

advanced coating technology, and automate several

material-handling activities. The grounds will also

include a world-class field-testing facility and an

advanced laboratory to mimic site conditions.

Maintaining its long history of environmentally

responsible operations, Strata's newest facility will

implement a variety of renewable energy sources,

such as solar power and rain-water harvesting.

The opening of this plant in Q2 2018 is a milestone

for the country's technical textile sector and a key

step towards global expansion for Strata. Being

partners with the technical textile veteran in the U.S.,

Glen Raven Inc., the promoters in India - Narendra

Dalmia and Ashok Bhawnani are proud of this next

big step and look forward to the exciting new

beginnings.

New Factory site-Strata Geosystems

Sivshree Medittex is the Manufacturer & Exporter of Nonwoven Surgical & Healthcare Disposables. The

product range includes Gowns, Scrubs, Jackets, Drapes, etc. The products are marketed with the brand name

of 'MEDIPRRO' and they are also into bulk packaging and OEM packaging methods.

www.ittaindia.org13January, 2018