Textile Grand Challenge

HEADLINES:

Grand finale to Textile Grand Challenge 2019 organized by Ministry of Textiles .

WHY IN NEWS:

Innovative spirit of India needs to be institutionalized for eco-friendly and cost-friendly alternative ideas that can also be utilized to create job opportunities – Union Minister of Textiles Smt Smriti Zubin Irani

MINISTRY? :- Ministry of Textiles

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Textiles

LEARNING:

For PRELIMS go through the aim , organizers , the challenge and the eligibility .

For MAINS how is plastic managed in Germany ? Do you think plastic recycling policy needs an introspection ?

ISSUE:

There is a need to upgrade textiles machine technology especially in the jute sector .

India is a global manufacturing hub for textiles and apparel.
The global textiles market is projected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2025.
Similarly, the domestic market for apparel is estimated to reach $59.3 billion by 2022.
Innovation is the engine of growth for any sector and thus this challenge is a platform to bring innovative ideas on front and reward them.

AIM

The aim of this initiative is to bring forward innovative ideas aimed at phasing out plastic bags.

The aim also will bring forward innovative ideas by start-ups/entrepreneurs .
This would help in for development of cost effective and low-weight carry bags .

These carry bags use Jute Bio-mass, Jute Plant based bio-polymer and cotton fibre waste to phase out plastic bags.

ORGANIZERS

The Textile Grand Challenge 2019 was organized by

The Ministry of Textiles
National Jute Board
Start up India Team of the Department for Promotion of Industry & Industrial Trade (DPIIT).

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

1. Open to all Startups / Innovative product/service that has showcased some measurable impact.

2. The product/service should at least be in any of the following stages –

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Proof of Concept (POC)
The deployed solution which requires further scaling up

3. Startups that have built a product across the relevant areas

THEMES FOR CHALLENGES

Textile
Green Technology
Environment

SIGNIFICANCE

It is also an initiative towards ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ under which innovative solutions were sought for

(i) Alternative to single use Plastic bags and

(ii) Alternative to Multi-use Plastic bags, using domestically grown natural fibres viz; Jute and Cotton.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Single & Multi-Use Plastic Bag Alternatives

The challenge is split in 2 problem statements

1. Single Use plastic alternative

2. Multi Use plastic alternative

EXPECTED SOLUTIONS

Using natural textile, biodegradable, low cost, indigenous, environment friendly alternatives.

EXAMPLE

Jute, cotton, wool, silk for replacing single and multi use plastic bags.

Suggesting cost effective, robust designs for the following segments of various capacities (volume and weight)

Groceries
Vegetables
Family Bag

CASH PRIZE

Single Use Plastic Alternative

First Winner- INR 3,00,000
Second Winner- INR 2,00,000
Third Winner- INR 1,00,000

Multi-Use Plastic Alternative

First Winner- INR 3,00,000
Second Winner- INR 2,00,000
Third Winner- INR 1,00,000

IASbhai WINDUP:

Innovative spirit of India needs to be institutionalized for developing eco-friendly and cost-friendly alternatives to create job opportunities.
The Ministry of Textiles has appealed to industry stalwarts to take forward the newly developed ideas & technologies.

SUGGESTED READING : https://www.startupindia.gov.in/content/sih/en/ams-application/challenge.html/

SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | Textile Grand Challenge | UPSC

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Textile Grand Challenge | UPSC