All You Need To Know About Tiruppur's Textile Industry

Known as the ‘T-shirt city’, Tiruppur, a metropolis in India located in the state of Tamil Nadu, is vastly renowned for being the knitwear capital of the country. Not by chance, this city contributes to over 50% of all India’s knitwear exports thanks to its 10,000 garment manufacturing sites employing a total of 600,000 workers (Business Standard, 2023). This hub is fundamental for the economy of India as, according to data from the Tiruppur Exporters’ Association (TEA) in 2021 and 2022 the exports from this city accounted for 1.08% share of all the country’s exports (TEA, 2024). Today, this area has roughly 1150 units working on knitting, 600 on embroidery, 900 on printing, 360 on dyeing, and 50 on bleaching. 

Unfortunately, Tiruppur’s textile industry has been negatively affected by both the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the Russian-Ukrainian conflicts. This has led to a significant drop in its exports in the months going from July 2022 to December 2022 (The Economic Times, 2023). As of January 2023, the economy of Tiruppur has started to recover, registering a 2.5% growth. However, this not only remains lower than the average historical trend but also than the national average, which registered a 3.76% growth in 2023 (Financial Express). 

Despite this recent slowdown, this area is still the most popular knitwear hub in the country, with plenty of fashion businesses all over the world opting for its high-quality products. But what makes Tiruppur so unique?

Tiruppur and sustainability

The Tiruppur textile industry is vastly renowned for its sustainable practices and it is now in the process of obtaining a ‘sustainable cluster’ title from the Tamil Nadu Government. According to a statement published on January 22nd by the Tiruppur Exporters’ Association, this textile hub is now officially carbon-negative (TEA, 2024). This means that Tiruppur is not only carbon neutral but it is actively removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In recent years, this city has largely invested in wind and solar energy which resulted in a production of renewable energy four times larger than Tiruppur's electricity requirements. 

This hub is also investing in zero liquid discharge measures and tree plantation practices, through several initiatives that have helped Tiruppur comply with Environmental, Social, and Governance standards. All these procedures are fundamental for Tiruppur's textile industry to keep complying with the European Union's strict Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which will be effectively implemented in 2026 and result in a tariff on carbon-intensive products imported to the EU.

The Green Revolution

But Tiruppur hasn't always been such a sustainable city. Only a few years ago, this area was home to one of the most polluting industries in the country (The Print, 2022). The situation was so critical that it led to massive protests from local farmers. Luckily, the Tiruppur government decided to take action, as the Madras High Court ordered the closure of roughly 750 dyeing and bleaching units which did not comply with the State Pollution Control Board’s zero liquid discharge norms.

As of today, Tiruppur remains an incredible example of how to successfully implement sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. Not by chance, the area is not only carbon negative but has also achieved a complete ‘Zero Liquid Discharge.’ meaning that the water used to dye and process clothes here is then treated at common effluent treatment plants and reused. Considering how the fashion industry remains the second most water-intensive industry in the world, with roughly 2.700 liters of water needed to produce a single cotton t-shirt, the results achieved by Tiruppur are truly admirable (Florida State University, 2020). 

Talking about its struggle to achieve such goals, the President of Tiruppur Exporters Association, K. M. Subramanian, declared: “We as a cluster have shown a great degree of resilience and perseverance to reach where we are today. We are proud to transform Tiruppur as a green hub where most of the resources are used in a sustainable manner.” But how did it all start?

From small agricultural town to India’s largest knitwear hub

Tiruppur wasn’t always the massive knitwear hub it is today. Back in the 50s, the economy of this city was mainly based on agriculture. In particular, the state of Tamil Nadu focused on cotton farming and yarn production, until small textile units started to emerge in the 70s (Business Standard, 2024). These types of business soon became successful thanks, among other factors, to the high mineral content in the local water which meant that clothes bleached in this area turned out whiter compared to those treated in other parts of India.

It was during this period that the local economy boomed. Entrepreneurs with traditional weaving backgrounds started to learn how to operate modern machinery and familiarize themselves with the latest techniques, becoming one of India’s most popular garment producers. In the 80s, both the US and Europe noticed the potential of this city due to its cost-effective production and high-quality products meeting international standards.

Today, however, Tiruppur is unfortunately facing some challenges. Apart from the problems caused by both the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, this city is now also experiencing a labor crisis.

Thousands of workers, especially those coming from the Uttar Pradesh region in the north of India, are now leaving the area to return to their homeland due to the increased job opportunities available there. Workers from this region made up roughly half of those employed in the local textile industry and, according to data from TEA, approximately a tenth of the total working force has already left.

To limit this problematic phenomenon, the TEA is now improving the conditions of its workers with a series of initiatives. Some of the options being currently discussed include the creation of housing societies, better medical facilities, and higher salaries (The Economic Times, 2024).

Conclusion

Throughout the years, Tiruppur has continued to adapt to the ever-changing requirements typical of our modern society, quickly shifting from a small cotton farming village to India’s main knitwear producer, and again, from a highly polluting city to a carbon-negative hub unique in its genre. Despite its current challenges, Tiruppur remains one of the most popular knitwear hubs in the world thanks to both its high-quality products and sustainable practices.