LS polls: Slowing exports, labour crunch pinch textile hub Tiruppur

When Business Standard reached Tiruppur, the city appeared to be least active compared to last year. A major reason is the decline seen in knitwear exports during the last financial year

The banks of the sacred river Noyyal, in and around Kodumanal, lay parched, yearning for rain. Even the trees in the Erode forest division bore a yellowish hue.

Some 26 km east of Tiruppur, India’s knitwear capital, this arid landscape is a stark contrast to the vibrant past of this region. Beneath Kodumanal lies the remnants of a once-thriving ancient civilization -- a testament to Tamil pride in its two-millennium-old trade links with Rome and the world beyond.

While Tiruppur, which accounts for 55 per cent of India's current textile exports, is a bustling hub of activity, Kodumanal is a poignant reminder