Surat’s apex research and development institution, the Man-Made Textiles Research Association (MANTRA), has formally entered its 50th year of operations. Addressing an industry conference, MANTRA President Rajnikant Bachkaniwala unveiled a comprehensive assessment of South Gujarat’s synthetic textile manufacturing engine, highlighting its unmatched domestic dominance, global footprint, and structural shift into technical textiles.
Surat’s Textile Dominance in Hard Numbers
According to figures released by MANTRA and supported by Gujarat Government assessments:
- Daily Fabric Output: Surat produces approximately 6 crore metres of fabric every day, representing nearly 65% of India’s entire man-made fibre (MMF) sector and roughly 30% of global fabric production estimates.
- Annual Turnover: The cluster generates approximately ₹1.5 lakh crore in annual business across weaving, texturising, dyeing, printing, and wholesale merchandising.
- Manufacturing Machinery Scale: The city hosts roughly 6 to 7 lakh powerlooms (including 22,600+ high-speed rapier, water-jet, and air-jet shuttleless looms), over 1 lakh multi-head computerized embroidery machines, and more than 600 active dyeing and printing mills.
- Employment & GDP Footprint: The textile value chain sustains 18 to 20 lakh direct and indirect jobs and accounts for over 25% of Gujarat’s manufacturing GDP contribution.
- Direct Exports: Direct textile and apparel exports from the Surat cluster reached ₹10,478 crore in the 2025–26 financial year.
The Golden Jubilee Pivot: High-Performance & Technical Fibres
President Bachkaniwala emphasized that while sarees, dress materials, and synthetic garment fabrics remain the foundation of Surat’s trade, the next phase of growth depends on technical textiles. Over 100 dedicated technical textile manufacturing enterprises have already emerged across Pandesara, Sachin, Kadodara, and Palsana GIDCs, manufacturing geogrids, medical non-wovens, defence ballistic fabrics, and automotive interior substrates.
To support this transition, MANTRA has expanded its specialized testing laboratories to offer automated quality certification for flame retardancy, hydrostatic water resistance, tensile strength, and recycled polyester (rPET) verification required by European and North American buyers.
Bridging Research with MSME Weavers
MANTRA announced that during its golden jubilee year, it will roll out subsidized training programmes and machine-tuning workshops for MSME powerloom owners. The initiative aims to help weavers upgrade standard water-jet and rapier machines to handle high-tenacity nylon, fire-retardant polyester, and eco-friendly circular-economy yarns, enabling local units to capture higher operating margins amidst volatile conventional raw material prices.