Tiruppur garment producers and the Coimbatore engineering industry are collaborating to locally produce critical machinery spares, reducing costs and overcoming import challenges.
Coimbatore: In a significant industrial collaboration, the garment producers in Tiruppur and the engineering sector in Coimbatore are joining forces to manufacture critical machinery spares locally. This initiative aims to address the high costs and logistical challenges associated with importing these essential items.
K.M. Subramanian, president of Tiruppur Exporters’ Association (TEA), explained that although the knitwear industry largely imports its machinery, about 10% of the spares are crucial and have traditionally been sourced from original manufacturers abroad. Notably, electronic components, which represent a substantial expense when imported, can be manufactured locally at a fraction of the cost.
The partnership involves various stakeholders including TEA, the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association (Codissia), and educational institutions like PSG College of Technology and Sri Eshwar College of Engineering. A recent meeting in Tiruppur discussed these plans, where it was determined that the academic partners would prepare a detailed project report on the initiative.
Kumar Duraisamy, Joint Secretary of TEA, highlighted the difficulties faced due to dependency on imported machinery and spares—from the high costs to long shipping times and restrictive import levies. He noted that 90% of the machinery utilized in the knitwear industry is imported from countries like the US, EU, China, and Taiwan.
By fostering local production, TEA intends not only to reduce dependency on imports but also to potentially attract major overseas manufacturers to consider Indian production of these spares and machinery in the future. Industry associations in Tiruppur will play a vital role by identifying and documenting the specific needs for machinery spares among their members. This data will guide Codissia members in the production process and help Tiruppur associations in bulk sourcing strategies.
K.M. Subramanian, president of Tiruppur Exporters’ Association (TEA), explained that although the knitwear industry largely imports its machinery, about 10% of the spares are crucial and have traditionally been sourced from original manufacturers abroad. Notably, electronic components, which represent a substantial expense when imported, can be manufactured locally at a fraction of the cost.
The partnership involves various stakeholders including TEA, the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association (Codissia), and educational institutions like PSG College of Technology and Sri Eshwar College of Engineering. A recent meeting in Tiruppur discussed these plans, where it was determined that the academic partners would prepare a detailed project report on the initiative.
Kumar Duraisamy, Joint Secretary of TEA, highlighted the difficulties faced due to dependency on imported machinery and spares—from the high costs to long shipping times and restrictive import levies. He noted that 90% of the machinery utilized in the knitwear industry is imported from countries like the US, EU, China, and Taiwan.
By fostering local production, TEA intends not only to reduce dependency on imports but also to potentially attract major overseas manufacturers to consider Indian production of these spares and machinery in the future. Industry associations in Tiruppur will play a vital role by identifying and documenting the specific needs for machinery spares among their members. This data will guide Codissia members in the production process and help Tiruppur associations in bulk sourcing strategies.