Deepali Plawat
Senior Deputy Director
Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association (ATIRA)
Could you briefly introduce ATIRA’s activities and expertise in the field of Buildtech (Construction Textiles)?
Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association (ATIRA) has long-standing experience at the intersection of textiles, polymers, composites, testing, standards, and industrial applications. Its activities now span conventional textiles, technical textiles, composites, nanotextiles and environmental technologies, with a strong focus on translating research into commercially viable solutions. In Buildtech, ATIRA’s role extends beyond conventional testing and research. It is an interdisciplinary domain bringing together textiles, polymers, composites, construction engineering, materials science, sensors and digital technologies.
ATIRA has significant experience in geotextiles and geosynthetics. Under the Ministry of Textiles’ programme for promoting geotechnical textiles in the North Eastern Region, ATIRA supported 20 field projects across four states, including more than 150 km of road applications, 10 water reservoir lining projects and two hill-slope protection projects. Its role covered manufacturer audits, testing, technical supervision, field implementation, and stakeholder capacity building. This provided ATIRA with experience across the complete implementation cycle: Technology Selection → Material Testing → Manufacturer Audit → Field Implementation → Technical Supervision → Stakeholder Training → Performance Validation
ATIRA has also developed capabilities in technical weaving, carbon and glass fibre fabrics, braiding, hotmelt coating and lamination, pultrusion, compression moulding, composite development, testing and characterization. These capabilities support the development of specialized reinforcement fabrics, composite structures, protective membranes, waterproofing systems, insulation and other textile-based Buildtech products.
This integrated expertise forms the basis of ATIRA’s proposal to establish a Centre of Excellence for Buildtech, under the guidance of the Ministry of Textiles. The proposed CoE would integrate R&D, pilot-scale product development, testing and certification, industry support, training, standards development, and field demonstration to accelerate the adoption of technical textiles in India’s construction and infrastructure sectors. Thus, ATIRA aims to support the complete Buildtech value chain: Technology Selection → Material Development → Testing & Characterization → Prototype Development → Manufacturer/ Process Audit → Field Implementation → Technical Supervision → Stakeholder Training → Performance Validation.
How do you assess the current status and growth potential of the Buildtech sector in India?
I believe India is at an important inflection point in the development of Buildtech. Globally, the Buildtech technical textile market is estimated at around USD 35-40 billion, accounting for approximately 12-14% of the overall technical textiles market, with a growth rate of around 6-7% CAGR. Advanced segments such as architectural membranes, textile-reinforced concrete, smart sensing, and energy-integrated textiles are growing faster at around 8-10% CAGR.
In India, the Buildtech market is estimated at around USD 1.3-1.6 billion, or 4-5% of the domestic technical textiles market, with an estimated 8-9% CAGR. ATIRA’s Buildtech Strategy Paper estimates the Indian market at approximately ₹7,000-9,000 crore in 2024-25. India’s rapidly expanding infrastructure, including roads, metros, railways, airports, bridges, tunnels, water infrastructure, and housing, offers significant opportunities for Buildtech products. The development of smart, sustainable and resilient cities will further drive demand for lightweight, durable, energy-efficient and climate-resilient materials.
The Smart Cities Mission covering 100 cities can also serve as a platform to demonstrate and validate innovative Buildtech materials through real-world applications, performance data and pilot projects. While India has a strong base in conventional textiles, geosynthetics and fabrication, gaps remain in advanced processing, system engineering, testing, standards and integration. The opportunity is therefore to capture greater value within India and reduce import dependence. Our strategy identifies an opportunity to target ₹2,000-3,000 crore of Buildtech imports for phased substitution over the next 5-7 years, particularly in architectural membranes, acoustic and insulation systems, textile-reinforced concrete, shading systems and smart sensing textiles.
What are the key applications of construction textiles that have the greatest potential for improving India’s infrastructure and building industry? What advantages do these textile solutions offer over conventional materials?
The potential applications of Buildtech are extremely broad, as it encompasses a wide range of engineered material solutions. Key opportunities include:
- Geotextiles and geosynthetics for roads, railways, drainage, filtration, reinforcement and erosion control.
- Textile-reinforced concrete and reinforcement grids for lightweight construction, crack control and structural strengthening.
- Architectural membranes and tensile structures for stadiums, terminals and large-span structures.
- Coated and laminated fabrics for roofing, waterproofing and façades.
- Acoustic and thermal insulation textiles for buildings and infrastructure.
- Scaffolding, safety and protective textiles for construction sites.
- Composite structures for lightweight and corrosion-resistant applications.
- Smart textiles and sensor-integrated systems for structural health monitoring and predictive maintenance.
- Textile-based pipeline and sewer rehabilitation systems for efficient infrastructure renewal.
The key advantage of technical textiles is their ability to deliver lightweighting, high strength, durability, flexibility, corrosion resistance, rapid installation, and reduced maintenance. The strategic opportunity is therefore not simply to replace conventional materials, but to re-engineer infrastructure for longer service life, lower lifecycle costs, greater resilience and improved sustainability. For future smart cities, this means combining digital technologies with smart materials that are lightweight, durable, resource-efficient and climate-resilient.
Could you highlight some of ATIRA’s recent R&D projects or innovations in Buildtech, particularly in advanced composites and construction materials?
ATIRA’s Buildtech work is increasingly focused on application-driven innovation, connecting research and technology with real-world requirements. ATIRA has significant experience in geotextiles and geosynthetics, including testing, characterization and field applications in challenging conditions. This has provided valuable understanding of site conditions, material performance, installation and long-term behaviour. Its capabilities in technical weaving, carbon and glass fibre weaving, radial and advanced braiding support the development of high-strength textile structures, composite reinforcements, tubular structures and advanced preforms for infrastructure applications. The hotmelt coating and lamination facility enables development of multilayer membranes, waterproofing systems, insulation structures and other building-envelope products.
ATIRA’s pultrusion, vacuum infusion and compression moulding facilities further support composite development, including panels, laminates and pultruded profiles. Notably, ATIRA has developed high-altitude porta cabins for the Armed Forces and modular toilets supplied during the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. ATIRA also has strong capabilities in covering physical, mechanical, environmental, UV, thermal, and flammability-related evaluations. Our approach is to integrate these capabilities across the product development cycle: Weaving → Coating/Lamination → Composite Integration → Testing → Prototype Development → Field Validation
What role do high-performance fibres, composites, and geosynthetics play in enhancing the durability, safety, and sustainability of modern infrastructure?
High-performance fibres, composites, and geosynthetics are increasingly important as India’s infrastructure must deliver long-term performance under demanding environmental conditions. Fibres such as carbon, glass, basalt and aramid enable lightweight, high-strength reinforcement for composites, structural strengthening and textile-reinforced concrete. Composites offer advantages in applications where corrosion resistance, lightweighting and long service life are critical. Geosynthetics offer significant large-scale opportunities in India, providing reinforcement, separation, filtration, drainage and erosion control for roads, railways, slopes, embankments, landfills and water infrastructure.
From a sustainability perspective, the key benefit is improved lifecycle efficiency. Longer-lasting roads, more stable slopes, reduced maintenance and energy-efficient buildings can significantly reduce overall resource and environmental impacts. Therefore, the focus should shift from “What does the textile cost?” to “What does the infrastructure cost over its entire lifecycle?”
How is ATIRA promoting sustainable Buildtech solutions, including natural fiber-based textiles for construction and infrastructure projects?
ATIRA is exploring sustainability through several technology pathways. One key area is natural-fibre-reinforced polymer composites, which offer advantages such as low density, renewable origin and potentially lower environmental impact. ATIRA has developed products and concepts for portable and modular applications, with potential for panels, boards, partitions, doors, windows and lightweight construction components, subject to required performance. A second area is lightweight composite construction, combining engineered textile reinforcement with polymer matrices to achieve high performance at reduced weight. A third area is multilayer and functional textile systems. ATIRA’s hotmelt coating and lamination facility enables development of systems for building envelopes, insulation, waterproofing and barrier applications. ATIRA also sees opportunities in recycled fibres, recycled polymers, textile waste utilisation and circular construction materials.
Sustainability in Buildtech should be assessed through a lifecycle approach, covering raw materials, manufacturing, installation, service life, maintenance and end-of-life. Technical textiles can contribute through lightweighting, extended infrastructure life, reduced maintenance, improved energy efficiency, and recyclable or reusable systems.
Natural-fibre solutions also have potential in erosion control, temporary protection, biodegradable geotextiles and selected insulation applications. However, sustainability must be supported by performance, with durability, environmental impact and end-of-life considered together. ATIRA can help industry evaluate these trade-offs through testing, characterization and applied research. There is also significant potential in climate-resilient Buildtech to address flooding, extreme heat, landslides and coastal erosion through water, heat, moisture and erosion management, as well as faster infrastructure repair and retrofitting. The future of sustainable Buildtech is about designing infrastructure that uses fewer resources, lasts longer, requires less maintenance, and performs better under changing climatic conditions.
How does ATIRA support startups, MSMEs, and corporates through R&D, prototyping, training, and testing services in the Buildtech sector?
One of the key challenges for startups and MSMEs in Buildtech is access to the complete ecosystem needed to commercialize innovative products. ATIRA’s role is to help bridge this gap. ATIRA can support companies through technology selection, material and prototype development, testing and characterization, process evaluation, technical consultancy, and scale-up support, backed by capabilities in weaving, braiding, carbon and glass fabric development, hotmelt coating and lamination, composite processing, and specialized testing. Its geotextile experience also helps companies understand the relationship between product performance and actual field conditions. For Buildtech products, laboratory performance alone is not sufficient; they must also be manufacturable, installable, standards-compliant, and reliable in field conditions. The proposed Centre of Excellence for Buildtech at ATIRA would strengthen this ecosystem through common facilities, testing and certification, pilot manufacturing, technology transfer, training and industry support. It would particularly benefit MSMEs by providing a neutral technology and validation platform, helping innovative products move faster towards commercialization.
What policy initiatives or government interventions would help accelerate the adoption of construction textiles in infrastructure and public projects?
The first and most important intervention is to progressively move from prescriptive specifications to performance-based specifications. Instead of specifying conventional materials, infrastructure procurement should focus on outcomes such as durability, strength, filtration, drainage, thermal and fire performance, and lifecycle cost. Second, India needs stronger testing, validation, and certification infrastructure to build confidence in new Buildtech materials. Third, we need harmonisation of standards with international benchmarks, while developing standards suited to India’s climatic and infrastructure conditions. Fourth, government-funded projects should provide pilot and demonstration opportunities for validated indigenous Buildtech products. Smart cities and selected highway, railway, water and building projects can serve as living laboratories. Fifth, stronger inter-ministerial convergence is required, with the Ministry of Textiles playing a nodal role and collaborating with infrastructure-related ministries and agencies to create demand and scale.
Finally, we need a Centre of Excellence that can function as a Common Facility Centre, supporting innovation, skill development, technology upgradation and domestic manufacturing. India already has a significant part of the Buildtech value chain. The challenge is to connect and strengthen it.
What training programs is ATIRA offering to bridge skill gaps in Buildtech for construction? How are you collaborating with government, academia, and industry partners?
Buildtech is inherently multidisciplinary, with skills spanning textile engineering, polymer science, composites, civil engineering, architecture, structural design, electronics, and digital technologies. Therefore, skill development must cover the entire Buildtech ecosystem, not just textile operators. At the specialist level, professionals need expertise in TRC design, composite engineering, membrane engineering, smart textiles and performance-based standards. At the industry level, EPC engineers, architects, consultants, and textile professionals need knowledge of material selection, design integration, installation, and lifecycle performance. At the technician level, trained personnel are required for coating and lamination, composite fabrication, membrane and geotextile installation, and smart-system integration.
ATIRA’s proposed CoE for Buildtech can support these needs through training programmes, workshops, hands-on demonstrations, industry seminars and certification-oriented programmes. Collaboration with government ministries, infrastructure agencies, academic institutes, architecture and planning institutions, industry associations, MSMEs, BIS and global technology partners will also be essential. The objective should be to create a national Buildtech skill architecture covering advanced specialists, industry professionals and certified technicians. The proposed CoE would provide an institutional platform for curriculum development, trainer training, certification and industry-linked skill development.
What emerging trends in Buildtech does ATIRA foresee, and how will the institute contribute to sustainable infrastructure and “Viksit Bharat” through construction textiles?
I believe the next decade will see Buildtech evolve from a specialized technical textile segment into a strategic infrastructure technology platform. I see five major trends: First, smart and connected infrastructure, with textiles integrating sensors and digital technologies for structural health monitoring and predictive maintenance. Second, lightweight and high-performance construction, using carbon and glass fibre textiles, composites, textile-reinforced concrete and advanced reinforcement systems to create lighter, thinner and more durable structures. Third, sustainable and energy-efficient buildings, driven by reflective roofing, adaptive shading, thermal insulation, breathable membranes and energy-generating textiles. Fourth, climate-resilient infrastructure, where geosynthetics, erosion-control systems, flood-management solutions, advanced membranes and rapid-rehabilitation technologies will become increasingly important. Fifth, technology convergence at the intersection of: Textiles + Polymers + Composites + Sensors + Construction + Digital Technologies. This convergence provides an opportunity for India to move into the next generation of smart and sustainable infrastructure and transition from a supplier of conventional textile materials to a global provider of integrated Buildtech solutions. With innovation in key products and development of domestic capabilities, the Buildtech segment could reduce foreign exchange outflow and create export opportunities of ₹3,000-5,000 crore per year as the industry matures. For me, the real meaning of Viksit Bharat is not simply building more infrastructure, but building infrastructure that is stronger, smarter, safer, more sustainable, and more resilient.