Tirupur popularly called the garment hub of India on a regular day will have hundreds and thousands of workers working together to manufacture some of the world-famous brand products. With quality checks, material checks, and efficiency the textile industry in Tirupur have been world-famous for its finished products. But the coronavirus lockdown has not spared this industry as well.
With many of their finished goods stranded in warehouses or in transit, the industry is having stranded goods worth Rs 9,000 crore. “The present situation in Tirupur is a battered situation, we are totally crippled. The European and American market has closed and we are put to a standstill. Two-three seasonal goods stranded in India or there overseas. The value of the stranded product is Rs 9,000 crore,” said Raja N Shanmugam, President, Tirupur exporters association, and founder of Warsaw international Tirupur. The textile industry in Tirupur has been competing with the international market from China, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia and now during COVID-19, the industry is trying to meet the current demand.
Close to 100 to 150 companies have started to manufacture face masks and PPE kits to help meet the current demands of the medical professionals who are at a higher risk of transmitting the disease. Srinivasa Babu, the Tirupur textile manufacturer, said, “We are making masks and PPE kits. We are very happy to provide these to doctors and nurses during this period. It is an honor to serve them.”
Raja Shanmugam said that at present the government is trying to import PPE kits from China. The cost of which he says is Rs 1,500, and he adds that by making them in India the products can be made and available at a much cheaper price of Rs 600 or Rs 700 including goggles. “Tirupur itself is good enough to supply for the entire country. The initial handholding is like knowledge transfer, and material transfer because of the clampdown, so logistic support is needed from the government. Right now 100 to 150 units are preparing masks and PPE, this is being done with 20-25 percent of their capacity. If the entire cluster is opened up then Tirupur within weeks itself can meet the demand of the entire nation and also slowly open to the international market,” said Raja Shanmugam.
Further elaborating on the hardships, Srinivas Babu said, “We are facing a lot of difficulties during this phase. we are finding it difficult to get raw material and there are transportation problems too. At present we are doing blood penetration test on the materials and after that making the PPE kits.“
Currently, the textile manufacturers of Tirupur are not used to manufacturing medical kits and are in need of detail briefing on the kind of materials that can be used, the machinery needed for the specialised making of PPEs. If the government gives them sufficient support, the textile manufacturers are confident that in the coming months with new machines and knowledge there will be an opening up of new avenues.
“Technical textile has a promising future. We are introduced to it in the last two to three weeks, once lockdown is over many companies will follow this and they will render good profit. Even government exchequer will be benefited in the future because of this export,” said Raja Shanmugam.
Skilled labour force
The textile industry is a labour-intensive industry and the Tirupur market has not only people from Tamil Nadu but is also home for migrant labourers. Tirupur holds 2.5 lakh to 3 lakh migrant labour in the textile industry. “Many have got stranded in Tirupur because of Covid-19. 1.3 lakh people got stranded here while the rest had been to their home towns for Holi just ahead of lockdown. The migrant labourers are much wanted in the future as well. This industry is a labour-intensive industry and as long as this industry grows, labour will also need industry,” added Raja Shanmugam.
Most textile units are working with 20-25 per cent labour force since the lockdown started. Ramesh, Technician Textile Manufacturing unit, said, “To help medical professionals, PPE kits are being produced in a very healthy manner. Non woven fabric is being used to make this, we are making workers work with social distancing. Sanitisers are being provided for the workers. We are taking all precautionary measure, to run the factory.”
Even though the Textile market is crippled with multiple seasonal clothes for the European market and American market stuck, the only hope for the members of the industry is the technical textile that they are currently focusing on producing. But will this be able to sustain the industry and sustain the labour force to survive this lockdown period?
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