Why Coimbatore hums with industrial energy

A self-made industrial city, as most Coimbatoreans would proclaim, Coimbatore is among the most industrially developed and commercially vibrant districts in Tamil Nadu.

The region’s industrial economy is largely driven by textiles, textile machinery, auto components, steel and aluminium foundries, pumps and motors, gold and diamond jewellery, educational institutions and information technology (IT).

It is part of the Coimbatore-Tirupur-Erode industrial corridor, with over 45,000 manufacturing units across sectors, mostly in the MSME segment.

Once hailed as the ‘Manchester of the South’, Coimbatore houses a large number of small and medium textile mills. The first textile mill dates back to the early part of the 19th century. The city housed a good number of large textile mills till the mid-1980s, but many of these have now gone into history.

The textile industry has become highly fragmented, with few large-scale enterprises and numerous smaller units specialising in spinning, weaving, finishing and apparels, among others. The transformation that has taken place on the manufacturing front with technology intervention and government support has spurred the growth of the textile industry.

Nearly 40 per cent of the spinning units in the State are located in and around Coimbatore.

The growth of the knitwear export cluster in Tirupur and handloom exports from Erode have led to substantial demand for spinning and weaving units in this region.

The textile industry’s growth led to the inception of textiles machinery manufacturing. And today, some of the global brands in textile machinery and component manufacturing have established their base here.

Also called the “pump city of India”, Coimbatore is home to many leading motor pump brands. Nearly 40 per cent of India’s motor and pump requirements are supplied from this region, and the city boasts of a near-monopoly in the manufacture of wet-grinders.

There are over 700 wet-grinder manufacturing units in the district.

Coimbatore is a hub for foundries, fabrication and machine shop works.

MSMEs’ contribution to Coimbatore’s economic diversification is immense. The entrepreneurial cult and the innovative nature of these enterprises have been crucial in driving the competitiveness of the economy.

The Coimbatore District Small Industries Association (Codissia), for instance, did the city proud by establishing the Codissia Trade Fair Complex, considered the largest modern exhibition venue and a hall-mark building by a private association.

Notwithstanding the establishment of a trade fair complex, the industry association has mooted a proposal to set up two industrial parkson the outskirts of the city to help engineering units in the city move to a common area. Codissia Industrial Park Ltd (CIPL)can house 350 industrial units.

The city already has two industrial estates, both owned by SIDCO, at Kurichi and Malumichampatti with 271 industrial sheds.

With the government’s initiatives like the single-window system for clearances, investment in infrastructure and development of industrial corridors, the industries in this region are likely to get a boost.

The Government has envisaged the current spend on engineering services to increase to $1.1 trillion by 2020.

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