Kannur textile centre to be ready by 2008

Thiruvananthapuram: The Textile Centre Infrastructure Development Scheme (TCIDS) being implemented in Kannur in Kerala is slated to become operational in 2008.

The project under the scheme is coming up on a 128-acre plot and is one of 24 such centres identified by the Centre for textile infrastructure development in the country.

The Centre will assist the project to the tune of Rs 20 crore and the State Government will provide land, power supply and basic infrastructure such as roads.

Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) is the nodal agency for the project.

The centre will have common facilities for pre-loom processing of yarn with a capacity of 15 tonnes and post-loom processing of 70,000 m of fabric a day, according to Mr C. Jayachandran, President of the Kerala Handloom Export Association.

He said that 100 acres earmarked for setting up of units had been booked through expressions of interest invited for the purpose.

This included five acres of land by the Leela Group. The total investment by these units would be around Rs 75 crore.

Apart from textile processing units, the centre will have a mini-apparel park spread over one lakh sq ft. The park will house 10 apparel units of 10,000 sq ft each.

Mr Jayachandran also said that after the commissioning of the centre, textile exports from Kannur are projected to touch Rs 500 crore by 2010 from Rs 350 crore now.

There is also potential for export of apparels worth Rs 250 crore from the region if the required infrastructure were created.

A significant gain for the textile industry in the region is that the centre will enable it to undertake a major chunk of the pre-loom and post-loom processing of yarn and textiles, which are currently done in Tamil Nadu. The centre will create new employment opportunities for around 5,000 people.