Lok Sabha Question No. 1578 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-09
Subject: GREAT Scheme
Ministry: TEXTILES
Asked by: Shri Ashish Dubey, Shri Rahul Singh Lodhi

## GREAT SCHEME

## 1578. SHRI RAHUL SINGH LODHI: SHRI ASHISH DUBEY:

## Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंत्री be pleased to state :

(a) the salient features and objectives of the Grant for Research and Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators  in  Technical  Textiles  (GREAT)  scheme  introduced  to  promote  innovation  in  technical textiles;

(b) the details and number of startups and innovators which have been provided financial support under the said scheme so far, State-wise including Jabalpur;

(c)  the  criteria  adopted  for  selection  under  the  said  scheme  along  with  the  details  of  technology  areas which have been supported for prototype development and commercialisation; and

(d) the steps taken for evaluation, progress monitoring and scaling up of successful innovations?

## उत्तर

## ANSWER

## वस्त्र राज्  य मंत्री ( श्री पबित्र मार्घेररटा )

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES (SHRI PABITRA MARGHERITA)

(a) & (b): The Ministry of Textiles has launched 'Grant for Research and Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT)' guidelines under the National Technical Textiles Mission  (NTTM)  with  an  objective  to  support  start-up  ecosystem  of  Technical  Textiles  in  India  by assisting  young  innovators,  scientists/technologists,  and  startup  ventures  in  the  field  of  Technical Textiles  to  translate  their  ideas  into  commercial  technologies/products.  Under  the  GREAT  scheme,  a maximum support of Rs. 50 lakh is provided to each approved proposal. A total of 24 Start-ups have been approved under GREAT scheme of NTTM at a total cost of Rs 12.16 crore, of which Rs 10.79 crore is Government of India share. A state-wise detail of these Start-ups is given at Annexure I.

(c): The Startups are selected under the Scheme in accordance with the eligibility criteria prescribed in Para-6 of the GREAT guidelines, details of which are given at Annexure-II. Further, the 24 approved start-ups covers a wide spectrum of technology domains, including advanced functional textiles such as temperature-responsive  and  self-sanitizing  fabrics,  smart  textiles  featuring  graphene-based  materials, energy-harvesting  fabrics,  shape-memory  wearables  for  healthcare,  high-performance  composites  for automotive,  construction,  and  defence  applications.  They  also  encompass  sustainable,  bio-based innovations such as hemp-bioplastic composites, biodegradable tire yarns, and algae-derived leather, as well  as  medical  and  healthcare  solutions  including  surgical  simulators  and  antimicrobial  textile technologies.

(d): A  Review  and  Monitoring  Committee  has  been  constituted  under  the  Scheme  to  assess  and oversee the progress of the approved start-ups. Further, public events, workshops, seminars and outreach activities are organized under the Scheme nationwide, to facilitate industry engagement for scaling up the potential start-up projects as well as disseminate information about the scheme.

## Annexure I

## State wise details of Start-up projects under GREAT scheme of NTTM

|   S. No. | Topic                                                                                                                        | Incubator             | Individual/Startup                                    | State/UT       |
|----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|----------------|
|        1 | Warming and Cooling High performance Textiles                                                                                | TBIF-IIT Ropar        | Individual (TexoEdge Innovation Pvt Ltd)              | Punjab         |
|        2 | Surgical simulation models based on textile materials for training of Doctors                                                | FITT-IIT Delhi        | Startup (Incipient Materials Private Limited)         | Delhi          |
|        3 | Development and commercialization of Industrial hemp pultrusion cord &composites                                             | NITRA                 | Startup (Sahi Fab Pvt Ltd)                            | Uttar Pradesh  |
|        4 | High-performance tyre-yarns: green product by green process                                                                  | BTRA                  | Individual (CellXX Technologies Pvt Ltd)              | Maharashtra    |
|        5 | Radome Integrated IFF Antenna                                                                                                | ATIRA                 | Startup (Momentux Systems Private Limited)            | Karnataka      |
|        6 | Development of Braided composites for use in Defense and Automobile application                                              | ATIRA                 | Individual (Braid Tech Pvt Ltd)                       | Gujarat        |
|        7 | Smart Fabrics of Tomorrow: Nanofibers Infused Textiles for Energy Generation and Sensing                                     | WRA                   | Startup (Nanospin Technologies LLP)                   | Gujarat        |
|        8 | Sustainable processing of technical textiles with emerging technologies                                                      | FITT-IIT Delhi        | Individual (Navyatha Green Technologies Pvt Ltd)      | Maharashtra    |
|        9 | Development of Node Locked (3D) Three- Dimensional material based advanced composite                                         | VFSTR TBI Council     | Individual (Texpreform Composites Private Limited)    | Andhra Pradesh |
|       10 | Algae-Based coated textile as an alternative to leather/synthetic materials                                                  | DKTE (BTRA to assist) | Startup Company(Ecopelle Pvt Ltd)                     | Maharashtra    |
|       11 | Manufacturing of nanomaterial based smart textiles                                                                           | ATIRA                 | Startup Company(Tetrel innovations LLP)               | Gujarat        |
|       12 | Natural Anti-Microbial Coated textiles for Hospitals wear                                                                    | SITRA                 | Dukil Medical and Technical Textiles Pvt Ltd., Erode. | Tamil Nadu     |
|       13 | Production & Scaleup of UniClenz- A zero waste, next generation, SMART, Self- Sanitizing Personal Protective Medical Apparel | AICNIFT-TEA           | Kratu Scientific Solutions, Chennai.                  | Tamil Nadu     |

|   14 | Development of shrink-resistant, detergent washable, camouflage dyed, far infra-red wool clothing for protection in extreme cold conditions through plasma technology with enhanced mechanical, comfort and thermal properties   | FITT-IIT Delhi   | Indigotex Private Limited                          | Delhi       |
|------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------|----------------------------------------------------|-------------|
|   15 | Novel E-Textiles Woven with Shape Memory Materials to Design Intelligent Wearables for Healthcare and Wellness Applications                                                                                                      | Venture Center   | Anatomech Private Limited                          | Maharashtra |
|   16 | Novel composite material-based space deployable communication antenna                                                                                                                                                            | ATIRA            | Guerin Technologies Private Limited                | Karnataka   |
|   17 | Bioengineered Textiles and Materials Manufacturing                                                                                                                                                                               | FITT-IIT Delhi   | Individual (Chitex Biomaterial Pvt Ltd)            | Delhi       |
|   18 | Smart Textile Wearable Enhancing Mental Wellbeing through Innovative Stress Management                                                                                                                                           | FITT-IIT Delhi   | Peaceinpaces pvt ltd, Ooty.                        | Tamil Nadu  |
|   19 | Design and Development of pilot scale innovative Zero Solid Discharge (ZSD) system for resource recovery from final residue in textile and industrial ZLD plants (circularity &sustainability)                                   | AICNIFT-TEA      | Watermight Technologies (India) pvt ltd. Tiruppur. | Tamil Nadu  |
|   20 | Flushable sanitary pads as a sustainable and innovative solution for menstrual hygiene                                                                                                                                           | NITRA            | Xleap Care Pvt Ltd, Delhi.                         | Delhi       |
|   21 | Development of advanced medical textile products based on biomaterials                                                                                                                                                           | WRA              | Anlage Materials Private Limited                   | Maharashtra |
|   22 | Revolutionizing High-Performance Sustainable fibres with Spider Silk Technology                                                                                                                                                  | KIIT-TBI         | Arasilk Private Limited                            | Uttarakhand |
|   23 | High-performance Sports gears for high- altitude Adventure sport & Defense applications                                                                                                                                          | WRA              | Siarutu Enterprises LLP                            | Maharashtra |
|   24 | Development of anti-bacterial, antioxidant and UV-protective Pineapple fabric as a sustainable and multi-functional protective clothing comprising enhanced mechanical and comfort properties                                    | FITT, IIT Delhi  | NA                                                 | Delhi       |

## Extracts of Grant for Research and Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT) guidelines

## Para 6: Eligibility Criteria:

## For individual applicant:

- i. The individual applicant should be an Indian citizen of minimum age of 21 years on the day of application (defined in section 11).
- ii. The primary applicant should be the Project Leader (as per Section 7) and shall be responsible for all communication and decision making related to the grant.
- iii. The  applicant  must  be  incubated  in  an  Incubator.  At  the  time  of  application,  the  applicant  is expected to have identified an Incubator. MoU with the Incubator is required for the final approval. Alternatively,  a  Letter  of  Support/recommendation  from  the  Incubator  is  required  at  the  time  of application submission if MoU has not been signed.
- iv. If the applicant is under formal employment/associated (or a student/researcher) with an academic or research organization, then the applicant must produce a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from competent authority of the organization clearly indicating that the applicant:
5.  Is allowed  to apply  for the GREAT  grant  and  there  is  no  conflict  with the current duties/obligations of the applicant and the scheme of GREAT grant.
6.  Accept funding support (if successful) as an individual.
7.  Manage the funds in individual capacity under Central Nodal Account (CNA)  mechanism of Government of India.
8.  Can create an Enterprise.
- v. Alternatively, the applicant needs to provide an Undertaking that he/she plans to terminate his/her association with the current employer and take up the project full time in the event of the grant approval. An approved resignation/ relieving/ retirement letter shall be required before the release of the grant.
- vi. The individual must have a registered company/start-up before release of the grant.
- vii. If the applicant is formally employed with a for-profit Startup Company,
12.  The application should be submitted under Startup Company; or
13.  Alternatively,  the  applicant  needs  to  provide  an  undertaking  that  he/she  plans  to  terminate his/her association with the current employer and take up the project full time in the event of the grant approval (An approved resignation/ relieving/ retirement letter will berequired before the release of the grant).
- viii. Individual who is a promoter/shareholder of a Technical Textiles' Startup Company shall not be eligible  to  apply  as  an  individual,  irrespective  of  the  percentage  of  shareholding  in  the  Startup Company. In such a case, the application can be submitted through Startup Company, if the Startup Company meets the required eligibility criteria as detailed below.

## For Startup Company:

- i. The Startup should be incorporated as a private limited company or registered as a partnership firm or  a  limited  liability  partnership  with  a  turnover  less  than  INR  100  Crores  in  any  of  the  previous financial years.
- ii. The Startup should be working towards innovation/ improvement of existing products, services and processes and should have the potential to generate employment/ create wealth. An entity formed by splitting up or reconstruction of an existing business shall not be considered a "Startup"
- iii. The Company should be registered under the Indian Companies Act, 1956/2013.
- iv. The incorporation date of the Company should not be greater than 5 years at the time of applying for GREAT call for application submission.
- v. A  minimum  of  51%  of  the  capital  should  be  owned  by  resident  Indian  citizen(s)  /  or  Indian companies which are ultimately owned and controlled by resident Indian citizen(s) to be qualified for the GREAT application.
- vi. Startup Company's application should be represented by a Project Leader (defined in section 7).
- vii. The Startup Company should have adequate and functional R&D facility to execute the project, or they must be associated/incubated at an incubator for the project.
- viii. If an applicant Startup Company, in which any promoter holding more than or equal to 20% of the shares, is a co-promoter or a partner of another ineligible Startup Company, then the applicant shall not be eligible.

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