Tamil Nadu’s Textile Policy To Boost Tiruppur’s Apparel Role
The Tamil Nadu government’s new textile policy aims to enhance Tiruppur’s position in the apparel value chain, according to Dharmendra Pratap Yadav, Principal Secretary of the Handlooms, Handicrafts, Textiles, and Khadi Department. While the service sector contributes 65% to the State’s GDP, the government is focused on boosting the manufacturing sector, which is second only to agriculture in generating employment.
Yadav, along with District Collector T. Christuraj, inaugurated the 51st India International Knit Fair. The event, organized by the Indian Knit Fair Association (IKFA) and the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), focused on innovation and circularity under the theme: “Preserving Our Planet.”
Tiruppur, known for its Rs 35,000 crore export business and Rs 25,000 crore domestic trade, is expected to lead the way in Environment and Social Governance (ESG), attracting more investments, particularly in the garment sector, which has a workforce composed of 80% women.
Addressing the modernization needs of the spinning sector, which produces 35% of the nation’s output, the Tamil Nadu government has allocated Rs 500 crore as a corpus for a 6% interest subvention to support machinery upgrades. The policy also emphasizes technical textiles and boosting exports, with Rs 25 crore allocated for a design center focused on research and development aligned with international trends.
Meanwhile, at the knit fair, 40 of the 100 buying houses and agents attending were international, reflecting the region’s global appeal. The Tiruppur Exporters’ Association is actively pursuing initiatives to promote sustainability through its ‘Green Tiruppur’ campaign. Additionally, Tiruppur manufacturers aim to increase their use of man-made fibres (MMF) from 20% to 30%, aligning with global trade trends, where 70% of the market revolves around MMF. Diversification into polyester is seen as a crucial step for Tiruppur’s future growth trajectory.
