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A file picture of the spinning division of Coimbatore Murugan Mills, one of the units of National Textile Corporation, in Coimbatore.

G. Srinivasan

Coimbatore, May 3 Having borne the brunt of the market and managerial vicissitudes over the years on account of running the mills with obsolescent machinery, outdated technology and resultant low productivity, the National Textile Corporation (NTC) mills in the southern region are now set for scoring productivity gains, thanks to the full throttle implementation of modernisation programmes.

Even as the holding company NTC is implementing the modernisation of 22 of its viable mills under its umbrella across the country, as many as 16 of them are in the southern region with eight in Tamil Nadu, five in Kerala, one in Andhra Pradesh, one in Mahe and a greenfield project in Karnataka.

The Chief General Manager (Technical) for Southern Region, Mr M.M. Chockalingam, told Business Line here that the current year holds the key for the real pay-off time for the Corporation as its projected turnover from the operating mills would be Rs 487 crore from the 2008-09 level of Rs 264 crore, marking a quantum growth of 185 per cent.

He said that what is particularly noteworthy is that after so many years of halting growth and handouts from the Government, the NTC mills would end up producing a modest cash surplus of Rs 2.36 crore in 2009-10, against a negative balance of Rs 30.11 crore in the last fiscal.

He said that in the last couple of years, the Corporation has invested Rs 185 crore in the modernisation of its viable mills in the region not only with a view to improving the process and systems of production but also to meet the competitive quality parameters of a demanding market from both yarn and cloth consumers. He also disclosed that the NTC mills’ spun yarn has become the industry’s benchmark price due to the distinct improvement in quality and supply delivery adherence to its clientele across the country.

Asked about the greenfield project New Minerva Mills, Hassan, Karnataka, he said the proposed integrated mills dovetailing neatly spinning, weaving, processing and finally garmenting would be on stream in a phased manner from September till end-March 2010.

Mr A. Arulsamy, General Manager (Technical), told this correspondent on a visit to Coimbatore Murugan Mills that the Rs 15-crore modernisation, involving installation of ring frame-840 spindles imported from China (picture), digital yarn clearer, sizing machine would help vastly improve weaving and spinning capacity of this composite mill.

He said this mill, in existence from 1936, would now double its supply of uniforms to police and public sector undertakings and school uniforms, thanks to the efficient utilisation of men and machinery with modernisation.

He said quality upgradation focus has helped in improving the operational efficiency from Rs 43 crore in 2008-09 to Rs 67 crore (projected) in the current fiscal. Because of controlled humidification within plants due to incorporation of modern gadgets, he said the general dusty environment noticeable in these mills are totally absent today with visible signs of improvement in workers’ zest to perform better, he added.

In another mill of NTC, Sri Rangavilas, the General Manager, Mr P. Selvaraj, said that though this mill has basic infrastructure facilities, it lacked modern machinery such as carding, draw frames, cost-effective long-ring frames and in the preparatory capacity to go coarser, when needed. Following the Rs 31 crore modernisation programme, which is almost in place except for auto coners installation as civil work is on for housing the huge contraptions, production and sale of yarn would fetch Rs 40 core this fiscal against Rs 23.5 crore.

He said that the output of the mills includes value-added high-twisted yarn and blended high-twisted yarn of cotton and polyester, besides the hank yarn for production of high-end handloom products for lucrative overseas markets.

More Stories on : Modernisation | Textiles | PSU | Tamil Nadu

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