GREAT Scheme

About GREAT Scheme:

• Grant for Research and Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT) Scheme focuses on supporting individuals and companies to translate prototypes to technologies & products, including commercialisation.
• Aim: To provide much-needed impetus for the development of the technical textiles startup ecosystem in India, especially in niche sub-segments such as bio-degradable and sustainable textiles, high-performance and speciality fibres, and smart textiles.
• Funding:
  • Under this scheme, a grant-in-aid of up to Rs 50 lakh for up to a period of 18 months will be provided.
  • The textile ministry will additionally provide 10 per cent of the total grant-in-aid to incubators.
  • Only a minimum of 10 per cent contribution has to be made by the incubatee.
• All of this is being done by incubators like IITs, NITs, Textiles Research Associations, and Centres of Excellence.
• The textiles ministry has also given a nod to 26 institutes for upgrading their laboratory infrastructure and training of trainers in the application areas of technical textiles.
• The scheme will be commensurate with the National Technical Textiles Mission.

Key facts about the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM)

• It was launched to increase the penetration level of technical textiles in India while leveraging the extraordinary growth rate of the sector.
• The mission aims to position India as a global leader in Technical Textiles.
• The mission will comprise the following four components:
  • Research, Innovation and Development
  • Promotion and Market Development
  • Export Promotion
  • Education, Training, Skill Development
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Textiles 
• Implementation: It has been approved with an implementation period of four years , starting from FY 2020-21 till FY 2023-24.