India is making strides in technical textiles with the National Technical Textile Mission (NTTM) backing the development of an indigenous firefighting suit, marking a shift away from reliance on imports from Europe, the USA, and China.
The project, led by Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA) in collaboration with M/s System 5S Pvt. Ltd, aims to meet global safety standards such as EN 1486 and ISO 15538. The suit is made with aluminised coated glass fabrics, OPAN (Oxidised Polyacrylonitrile) nonwoven battings, and flame-resistant viscose fabric, ensuring enhanced heat and flame resistance.
With India’s annual demand of 1,000 firefighting suits, the introduction of an Indian-certified aluminised suit could significantly boost domestic consumption. System 5S has commenced trial manufacturing, with full-scale production expected after successfully passing the fire manikin test under the EN ISO 13506 standard.
This initiative is set to benefit sectors such as defence forces, oil & gas, aerospace, aviation, power plants, and emergency services, strengthening India’s self-reliance in advanced firefighting gear production.
