Domestic technical textiles Industry Segment-wise consumption of ...

• Recovery System Parachute Assemblies are used in space vehicles to recover some
equipment as the vehicles descending towards earth.
• Parachutes are used in aero sports like parasailing/ parascending (the person is towed behind a
vehicle and attains flight of hundreds of feet above ground), Sky diving etc.
The specifications associated with a parachute are type of canopy (flat, circular), size, load capacity,
weight of parachute assembly, canopy fabric and material of suspension lines.
In India, more than 90% of the demand for parachutes is from the defence sector. Ordinance
parachute factory is the only manufacturer in India and caters to most of the demand. The parachute
fabric usage at Ordinance Parachute Factory, Kanpur is around three lakh metres.
The key demand drivers are defence spending on parachutes and popularity of aero-sports. The
market for parachutes is likely to increase only at around 5% per annum.
Key manufacturers of the parachute fabric in India
The major parachute fabric manufacturers are Kusumgar Associates (Mumbai) and Oriental synthetics
& Rayon Mills Pvt. Ltd (Mumbai). Kusumgar manufactures 3-4 lakh square meters of parachute
fabric while Oriental Synthetics & Rayon Mills manufactures more than two lakh metres of parachute
fabric.
Manufacturer Year Quantity
Kusumgar Associates 2007-08 Up to 3 – 4 lakh metres
Oriental synthetics & Rayon Mills Pvt. Ltd 2005-06 Up to 2 lakh metres
Source: Industry Survey, Office of Textile Commissioner
Market size of parachute fabrics and future forecast
The market size of parachute fabrics has been estimated as given below:-
Parachute fabric usage in India
Usage at Ordinance Parachute Factory 14 3 lakh metres approx.
Average price Rs 170 per metre
Domestic consumption of parachute
fabric
Rs 5.1 crore
Fully-built Parachutes imported Rs 1.5 crore
14 Analysis based on data/information received from Defence. IMaCS has made appropriate adjustments because of
insufficient data.