For the power loom clusters in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts, last two years had been difficult times with fluctuations in demand, problems in implementation of revised wages for job-working and increase in power costs. But, the units also need to focus on better technology and should diversify to varieties of fabrics to get better prices, say industry sources.
With declining farming activity and additional benefits available in Sultanpet and Annur blocks (as they are declared as backward areas), more number of power looms are coming up across the two districts. While Coimbatore and Tirupur districts had 1.5 lakh power looms four years ago, it was two lakh looms now. The basic product manufactured here is grey gada fabric. And most of these are basic power looms, the sources add.
According to chairman of Southern India Mills’ Association, M. Senthil Kumar, large-scale units are able to market the fabric easily and in Tamil Nadu the number of such units is less. Almost 95 per cent of fabric production in the country comes from the unorganised sector. And, 75 per cent of fabric is from the basic power looms.
The sources say small-scale power loom units have not adopted technology much and do not have trained manpower. This affects production and they need to look at upgrading technology.
Most of the units add more number of basic power looms instead of upgrading the existing ones. Hence, there is an increase in production and hence, the prices also do not go up, they say.
P.Kumaraswamy, secretary of the Coimbatore District Job Working Powerloom Unit Owners’ Association, says that about 10 per cent of the units in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts have gone in for semi-automation.
The job-working units spend one fourth of the wages towards power cost. Hence, the government, both the Central and State, should give 50 per cent subsidy for the units to go in for solar power and should establish a marketing facility so that the weavers can sell directly to the buyers, he says.
Textile Commissioner Kavita Gupta told The Hindu over phone that the Union Ministry of Textiles disbursed Rs. 102 crore in 2015-16 to power loom units under the in-situ scheme. Most of the beneficiaries are in the south, in Coimbatore region, she says. The Ministry is promoting the scheme through door-to-door awareness campaigns.
She says that power looms have different schemes to upgrade. Under the A-TUFS, the units get capital subsidy to go in for new shuttleless looms. Under the in-situ upgradation of power loom scheme, the units get Rs. 15,000 as subsidy for semi-automation. If the semi-automatic looms should be upgraded into rapier looms, the subsidy is Rs. 25,000. In the case of upgrading a basic power loom into a rapier loom, the subsidy is Rs. 40,000. The total cost will work up to Rs. 80,000 and 50 per cent will be available as subsidy, she says.
With declining farming activity and additional benefits available in Sultanpet and Annur blocks (as they are declared as backward areas), more number of power looms are coming up across the two districts. While Coimbatore and Tirupur districts had 1.5 lakh power looms four years ago, it was two lakh looms now. The basic product manufactured here is grey gada fabric. And most of these are basic power looms, the sources add.
According to chairman of Southern India Mills’ Association, M. Senthil Kumar, large-scale units are able to market the fabric easily and in Tamil Nadu the number of such units is less. Almost 95 per cent of fabric production in the country comes from the unorganised sector. And, 75 per cent of fabric is from the basic power looms.
The sources say small-scale power loom units have not adopted technology much and do not have trained manpower. This affects production and they need to look at upgrading technology.
Most of the units add more number of basic power looms instead of upgrading the existing ones. Hence, there is an increase in production and hence, the prices also do not go up, they say.
P.Kumaraswamy, secretary of the Coimbatore District Job Working Powerloom Unit Owners’ Association, says that about 10 per cent of the units in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts have gone in for semi-automation.
The job-working units spend one fourth of the wages towards power cost. Hence, the government, both the Central and State, should give 50 per cent subsidy for the units to go in for solar power and should establish a marketing facility so that the weavers can sell directly to the buyers, he says.
Textile Commissioner Kavita Gupta told The Hindu over phone that the Union Ministry of Textiles disbursed Rs. 102 crore in 2015-16 to power loom units under the in-situ scheme. Most of the beneficiaries are in the south, in Coimbatore region, she says. The Ministry is promoting the scheme through door-to-door awareness campaigns.
She says that power looms have different schemes to upgrade. Under the A-TUFS, the units get capital subsidy to go in for new shuttleless looms. Under the in-situ upgradation of power loom scheme, the units get Rs. 15,000 as subsidy for semi-automation. If the semi-automatic looms should be upgraded into rapier looms, the subsidy is Rs. 25,000. In the case of upgrading a basic power loom into a rapier loom, the subsidy is Rs. 40,000. The total cost will work up to Rs. 80,000 and 50 per cent will be available as subsidy, she says.