Potential of nonwovens and technical textiles in India

India's recent successes and investments will only result in more growth and increase in the number of disposable income for the nonwoven industry which is expected to register a growth of 12.4%. Statistics also show that India is poised to be a leading producer and consumer of technical textiles. Meanwhile, one of the major sector for nonwovens is the automobile industry. This is due to the fact that about 25kg of nonwovens are used in a single automobile added to the fact that the car industry is seeking to make their vehicles lightweight, hence fuel efficient. Another major application is for medical. Although the normal use of nonwovens are for surgical gowns, they are now finding uses in applications such as Ahlstrom's Breathable Viral Barrier Fabric. For the military, nonwovens are finding uses in wipes, composites as well as for the comfort of personnel. Another major use of nonwovens are for filters wherein nanofibers are consuming the field. For instance, a recent research has resulted in the development of well aligned self-assembled polyurethane nanofibers.