Tiruppur knitwear cluster
Topic: Manufacturing Industries of India: Location and Distribution · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Tiruppur knitwear cluster is a group of factories in one town that make knitted cotton clothing, such as T-shirts and innerwear. It is in western Tamil Nadu and makes a large share of India's cotton knitwear exports. It shows agglomeration economies: the savings firms get from being close to each other and sharing suppliers, skilled workers and buyers. Its weak point is pollution. The dye waste from its units flowed into the Noyyal river.
Example
Dye waste in the Noyyal river near Tiruppur led to a court order in 2011. The court required the dyeing units to adopt zero liquid discharge. This means they must treat and reuse all their waste water and release none into the river.
Don't confuse with
- Ludhiana hosiery: this is another knitwear cluster, but it is in Punjab and is known for woollen hosiery. Tiruppur is in Tamil Nadu and is known for cotton knitwear.