Coimbatore Textile Clusters Urged to Accelerate Decarbonisation Through Technology Adoption
Coimbatore: Textile clusters in Coimbatore and neighbouring regions have been encouraged to adopt innovative technologies and work collectively to accelerate the decarbonisation of textile processing operations.
Speaking at the ‘Future-Proofing Textile Manufacturing’ meeting held in Coimbatore, Nirmala Raja, Managing Director of Rajapalayam Mills and Chairperson of Ramco Community Services, said the textile processing industry should embrace technologies that provide real-time operational data and proven solutions for reducing carbon emissions. She emphasised that collaboration among textile clusters would help drive faster and more effective adoption of sustainable manufacturing practices.
Raja noted that many textile processing activities require heat, which can increasingly be generated through electricity instead of fossil fuels. She stressed that affordable and scalable technologies are essential to enable wider adoption across the industry.
Ravi Sam, Vice-Chairman of the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL), said the textile industry in western Tamil Nadu grew due to the availability of raw materials, skilled manpower and competitively priced electricity. While access to raw materials and labour has become more challenging, he urged the Tamil Nadu government to ensure a reliable and affordable power supply to maintain the sector’s competitiveness.
Suresh Manoharan, Secretary of the Perundurai SIPCOT Textile Processors Association, said the association has been working with the Vasudha Foundation to promote electrification in textile processing and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The foundation is helping connect textile units with technology providers while exploring viability gap funding to support cleaner manufacturing solutions.
K. Selvaraju, Secretary General of the Southern India Mills’ Association (SIMA), said that although free trade agreements have reduced tariff barriers for Indian textile exporters, non-tariff barriers continue to pose challenges. He also highlighted marine discharge of treated textile processing effluent as a more practical and cost-effective alternative to zero liquid discharge systems.
Srinivas Krishnaswamy, Chief Executive Officer of the Vasudha Foundation, said the organisation has developed climate action plans for four districts and four cities in Tamil Nadu, including Coimbatore and The Nilgiris, with a focus on decarbonising industrial clusters. Similar initiatives are also underway in Gujarat.
During the event, the Vasudha Foundation released a study titled “Electrification of Textile – Evidence and Insights from Textile Wet Processing Units in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat,” highlighting pathways for cleaner energy adoption and sustainable transformation in the textile processing industry.