New Delhi: The Centre has introduced 59 undergraduate and postgraduate courses in technical textiles under the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) to strengthen education and skill development in the sector, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Textiles Pabitra Margherita, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, said the Ministry of Textiles is implementing guidelines to enable academic institutions across the country to introduce courses and papers related to various application areas of technical textiles.

He said 47 proposals from technical universities and educational institutions have been approved under the initiative, with a cumulative grant of Rs 216.60 crore for upgrading laboratory infrastructure and training faculty members.

The scheme is open to eligible public and private educational institutions across the country, including those in Odisha's Nabarangpur Lok Sabha constituency. However, no proposal has been received from the constituency under the scheme, the minister said.

Margherita said the ministry has also approved guidelines for skill development and training of candidates in technical textiles to upgrade the capabilities of the industry's workforce.

The programme targets four categories of beneficiaries — undergraduate students, unskilled individuals before employment, existing workers requiring upskilling or reskilling, and personnel employed in application areas of technical textiles.

To implement the programme, the ministry has empanelled Textile Research Associations, Centres of Excellence, Sector Skill Councils and industry bodies across states and Union Territories to provide training and conduct awareness campaigns through print, electronic and social media, as well as outreach camps.

The initiative aims to expand the availability of specialised technical textile education and create a skilled workforce to meet the growing needs of the sector, the minister added.