Support global branding of ‘Made in Tirupur’, Vijay urged

Tirupur: The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) on Sunday urged the new chief minister, C Joseph Vijay, to support global branding of ‘Made in Tirupur' and establish a state-level apparel and textile development board.Welcoming Vijay as the new CM, AEPC submitted a representation seeking strong policy support to help Tamil Nadu's apparel industry reach Rs1 lakh crore by 2030. The industrial body highlighted that the apparel and readymade garment sector was one of the strongest pillars of Tamil Nadu's economy. "Tirupur, in particular, accounts for nearly 68% of India's knitwear exports and generates business worth more than Rs70,000 crore annually in domestic and global markets. The industry provides direct employment to more than 10 lakh workers, with nearly 65% being women, making it one of the state's largest women-centric industries," the council said. The sector is largely MSME-driven, with around 90% of the units falling under the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) category. With India signing free trade agreements with 37 countries, AEPC said the coming decade offers major export opportunities and positions Tamil Nadu to emerge as a global hub for sustainable textile and apparel manufacturing. To achieve this, AEPC has urged TVK-led state govt to fast-track affordable rental housing for garment workers, reclassify worker hostels under residential electricity tariffs, and promote working women through safe transport and welfare measures. It also sought a 50% capital subsidy for worker hostel construction, along with interest subvention for the remaining project cost, especially as the sector depends heavily on migrant and women workers. The council has requested dedicated financial support for export-oriented MSMEs, including better access to working capital, interest subvention, and capital subsidies for modernization, automation and technology adoption. It has stressed on the need to improve road and rail connectivity to Thoothukudi and Chennai ports, promote multimodal logistics, ensure competitive industrial power tariffs, encourage renewable energy use, and extend support for zero liquid discharge systems, common effluent treatment plants and sustainable manufacturing initiatives. AEPC has also called for simplified regulatory compliance for MSMEs, international buyer-seller meets in Tirupur, stronger global branding for ‘Made in Tirupur', and the launch of a Tirupur Knitwear Development Mission through structured govt-industry engagement. The Tirupur Exporters Association also congratulated the new chief minister and ministers and sought infrastructure development to strengthen Tirupur's role as a specialized export city and sustain its global competitiveness.