COVID-19 spread in Maharashtra to affect Tamil Nadu textile mills

Textile mills in Tamil Nadu are likely to be affected by the spread of COVID-19 in Maharashtra as nearly 40 per cent of the yarn produced here is sold to the weaving units in Maharashtra.

As per The Hindu, Maharashtra Government has not restricted movement of vehicles and has not asked the powerloom units to stop production. However, fearing the spread of the pandemic, several migrant workers at the weaving clusters in Maharashtra are returning to their home State. This is likely to affect production in the weaving units. Tamil Nadu, which is the largest yarn producer in the country, sells 40 % of the yarn to weaving clusters, such as Bhiwandi and Ichalkaranji, in that state.

Maharashtra has 12 lakh powerlooms as against 6.5 lakhs in Tamil Nadu. Hence, its demand for yarn is huge. With the spread of COVID-19 and worker shortage in Maharashtra, the textile mills in Tamil Nadu are likely to see 10 per cent to 20 per cent impact for a couple of months. Any restriction to control the spread of the pandemic should be introduced in a phased manner so that the workers and businesses are not affected.