Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Apr 29: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday underlined the growing importance of technical textiles in India’s footwear sector, noting that their integration is already deeply embedded within the industry and needs to be further expanded and structured for greater impact.
Referring to an article by Union Minister Giriraj Singh, the Prime Minister said the key challenge ahead is to properly recognise, organise, and scale the use of technical textiles within footwear manufacturing, thereby integrating the sector more firmly into the broader technical textiles ecosystem.
According to Modi, technical textiles are emerging as essential drivers of growth for the footwear industry by improving product quality, enhancing performance, and strengthening export potential. He emphasized that unlocking the sector’s hidden capacity could significantly boost India’s global competitiveness.
Singh, in his remarks, stressed that India must position its footwear industry for global leadership by combining manufacturing strength with innovation and sustainability. He said this aligns with the vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, where self-reliance extends beyond production to leadership in global value chains.
He also pointed out that while India is among the world’s largest footwear producers, its share in global exports remains limited. According to him, the gap is not due to capacity constraints but because of insufficient focus on materials, design, and performance upgrades—areas where technical textiles play a crucial role.
The minister highlighted that consumers are increasingly demanding footwear that offers better comfort, lighter weight, improved cushioning, breathability, and durability. These features, he said, are no longer premium add-ons but standard expectations, making technical textiles more important than ever.
Singh added that during visits to manufacturing units in Agra, it was observed that many producers were already using advanced materials to enhance product quality, even if they did not formally identify them as technical textiles.
He also referred to discussions with industry stakeholders in New Delhi, where changing consumer expectations were strongly emphasised. These conversations, he said, highlighted how technical textiles are already widely used across the footwear industry, even if not always recognised as such.
Both leaders stressed that better integration of technical textiles could drive innovation, increase exports, and generate high-quality employment, positioning India more strongly within global manufacturing value chains.