Growth in Technical Textiles Help India Become Self Reliant in PPE Kits

Even as USA was dependent on China for its requirements of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) till mid 2020, India had become self reliant in PPEs thanks to widespread support for and adoption of the technical textiles industry, according to a note issued by Texas Tech University (TTU). 

Dr Seshadri Ramkumar, Professor of Advanced Materials at Texas Tech University had played a pioneering role in this regard having partnered with the Indian government and technical textiles organisations around the world to host conferences in India since the early 2000s. The “International Corences on Advances in Fibrous Materials, Nonwoven and Technical Textiles” were organized with several institutes in India in collaboration with The Institute of Environmental & Human Health (TIEHH) at Texas Tech since 2004. The events have been sponsored by notable industry groups including the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) and the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI).

INDA hosted its first business conference in India, “Link with India,” in October 2007 to introduce the emerging textiles and nonwovens industry to a wider audience.

In 2008, Ramkumar published a report on India's technical textiles sector, “India Rising: Opportunities in Nonwovens and Technical Textiles,” which estimated its growth through 2050. So far, he's been right. In 2006, India produced about 30,000 metric tons of nonwoven fabrics. In 2019, it produced 536,000 metric tons.
Ramkumar, the inventor of the FiberTectTM decontamination wipe, has played an especially integral role in India's development of the technical textiles sector.