NITI Aayog member V K Saraswat has expressed his confidence that India will start manufacturing 'T100' type of carbon fibre in the next 2.5 years in a bid to overcome the import licensing restrictions that prevent its use in strategic applications.
He stated that T100 carbon fibre is used in defence, aerospace and civil engineering sectors, in the making of hydrogen cylinders, missiles, launch vehicles, aircraft, bullet proof jackets, bridges construction among others.
He further said ‘the licensing pattern of foreign nations is such that they are not giving us T100 material for any strategic applications. We want to overcome this and therefore the government's programme is to promote development of its indigenous production.’ He also informed that Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) and Mishra Dhatu Nigam (MIDHANI) are engaged in the efforts to begin manufacturing carbon fibre in India.