The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Karur manufacturers keen on boosting textile exports

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 13, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Karur manufacturers keen on boosting textile exports

By M. Soundariya Preetha

COIMBATORE, NOV. 12. Textile manufacturers at Karur are aiming at increasing exports in the next five years to the tune of Rs. 5,000 crores. From Karur table linen, kitchen linen and furnishings are exported.

M. Siva Kannan, secretary, Karur Textile Manufacturers' Exporters' Association, told The Hindu that the annual exports from the town now were worth about Rs. 1,500 crores (including nearly Rs. 1,000 crores in indirect exports). The main markets were the United States and the European Union. The exporters were also exploring opportunities in South African and South American countries.

Powerloom and handloom products were made in the town, and most of the units were small-scale. The main forms of value-addition were embroidery and hand works.

With the phasing out of quotas in the post-WTO (World Trade Organisation) regime, the market potential for these products would go up. A number of units had started investing in modernisation and infrastructure development. Modernised looms and the latest tailoring and processing machinery were being installed.

Textile park mooted

"A textile park proposal has also been mooted especially for small-scale units."

Karur was identified as one of the "towns of export excellence" and hence more infrastructure development would be taken up.

Officials of the Textiles Committee at Karur pointed out that under its cluster programme, to improve the competitiveness of the small and medium-scale units, a consortium approach was promoted for them to take up bulk purchase of raw materials and marketing. A study on the infrastructure requirements of the town and ways of improving them was under way.

Mr. Siva Kannan said the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) had initiated a preliminary study to identify the areas where the units needed assistance to improve their performance. Based on this, the organisation could initiate programmes. The association would soon launch a web site for the units to get better exposure in the international market.

On the domestic market, Mr. Siva Kannan said just 10 per cent of the production in the town was being absorbed by the domestic market. "It (local market) is also gradually looking up."

Aprons and table-mats were even being sold in the retail chain stores. Some of the manufacturers were looking at direct sales in the domestic market.

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