GREAT Scheme:
The Union Ministry of Textiles released the guidelines of the 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 is 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.
- 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.
