Last time when my younger brother
visited me, I happened to purchase few vests (Banians) for my personal use.
After having looked at the price tags, he declared that they are available at
half the price at his place i.e. Coimbatore. I was a little bit amused but I
knew that what he is talking about were the factory outlets. I told him that I
will get them when I am at his place. On my return journey from Kerala I
happened to stay with him for a fortnight. One day even before I could remind, he casually asked me if I
have any plans to purchase vests any more. I replied in the affirmative adding
that I would also like to buy few Tees (T Shirts) as they too are said to be
cheaper there. He nodded and suggested for a visit to a knitting factory at
Tirupur with whom he had friendly connections. Very next day we were on our way.
The city of Tirupur with a population
of over half a million, lies 55 kilometers North of Coimbatore and happens to be
a major manufacturing centre of hosiery. The knitwear industry here accounts for
around 80% of knitted garments in the country. Their exports stand at Rs.12,000
crores (120 million) annually and the domestic supply is said to be over Rs.5000
crores. There are around 10 to 12 factories where everything is done under one
roof including dyeing. Every factory employs around 1000 to 3000 skilled
workers. Most of the industrial units come under the category of ‘Small Scale’
barring the few bigger ones. There are around 500 units engaged in spinning and
weaving and some 3000 in stitching. Practically every household contributes in
one way or the other. There were several units engaged in dyeing but due to the
pollution they emanate, many of them closed down because of judicial
intervention. Now it is understood that they have equipped themselves with non
polluting technologies and are into convincing the courts for their revival. All
the smaller units here are engaged in some kind of job work for one another. The
factories of Tirupur produce knitwear for all the major brands across the world.
Indian brands like Lyril, Lux Roopa etc. get manufactured here but one may not
say “exclusively” for this is a kind of job work which is outsourced.
Exported hosiery some times gets
returned on certain technical grounds or due to the inability of the importers
to pay for them. Such goods get sold at throw away prices, a kind of distress
sale, in Khadarpet market near the local Railway Station.
After an hour’s drive, we were at a
Hosiery Factory where one of it's directors was a friend of my brother. In
addition to Tees, this factory manufactures Tops, Inners, Slips, winter
wear etc. for women and children. We were welcomed and provided with play cards
to be worn around the neck to indicate our VVIP status before we could venture
into their manufacturing areas. I wanted to see the entire process from the very
beginning i.e. from raw cotton onwards. The factory had their independent
spinning unit which produced yarn out of raw cotton. It was interesting to see
the large machines spinning cotton and rolling/wrapping the thread in many
ways onto the spindles, small and large. Some of the spindles were larger than
gasoline drums. There were hundreds of parallel thread streams getting collected
on those drum like spindles. We were told that those spindles are sent to other
weaving units who manufacture cloth (not knitwear). In the backyard of the large
shed, the open courtyard was strewn with bales of waste cotton which get sold
out as cattle feed. Part of it goes to paddy fields to improve soil
fertility.
Back in the main factory building we
were taken around the knitting section where we found the end use of those
smaller spindles. The round machines of various dimensions were engaged in
churning out knitted cloth cylindrically. The knitted cloth then finds its
place over large tables in several layers. The specifications provided by the
Importers/principal companies owning particular brands are stored in a computer.
While cutting the cloth some amount of wastage becomes inevitable. The
computer throws out various options and when the wastage level is around 18%
(that is said to be the tolerable level) the automatic cutting machines receive
commands from the computer operator, which in turn cuts the knitted cloth as per
the design specified. Sleeves, Collars and the main body parts are stacked
separately which go to the stitching sections. The whole process gets
accomplished in minutes.
As said above for stitching the
different pieces together, which includes buttons/fasteners, hundreds of people
are engaged working in different teams. After the stitching the Tees emerge in
one piece. They then travel to people who press them and fold them. Finally they
are sent for packing but before doing so they are labelled (Branded!).
Thereafter they get wrapped in pre-printed polythene packets with logos and all
other things as desired by the Importer. Even price tags (In Euros are US
Dollars) are affixed. In some cases the packaging of individual Tees are
provided with hangers as well. The importer has nothing to add on and they are
ready to be hanged in show cases. Now is the time when they get into card board
cartons but before that the representative of the Importing Company ensures that
all the standards specified have been adhered to. The cartons move to large
containers and get placed appropriately (pre-determined space), ready to be
shipped.
Around 2.00 PM we completed our
learning mission and instead of a few Tees we could not resist filling our cart
with not less than 2 dozens of them. They were at much much below the market
rates. Of course, they did not bear any brand as such but were otherwise
genuinely manufactured for an internationally acclaimed brand. The factory is
not supposed to provide branded garments locally, however they are allowed to
manufacture 10% over and above the contracted volume. This comes in handy for
the factory to entertain their valued connections locally.
Incidentally, we forgot about Vests
altogether.
