Salem a geologist's paradise of Tamil Nadu famous for its silver, art silk, readymade garments manufacturing, coir yarn and sago despite having all these specialties there is no trade centre where buyers from other states can come in, which would help boost business. There is a strong need for textile parks, IT parks and trade promotion activities to ensure they retain their position in its specialties.

Salem is one of the main textile processing region of Tamilnadu with numbers of powerlooms and Autolooms functioning in Salem. It is famous for Readymade Garments Manufacturing and a leading city in garments export in India, the Readymade Garments are exported to various European Countries, USA , Canada and Australia. It also has sizable number of spinning mills are functioning in Salem District.

A high number of handlooms are functioning at Ammapet, Elampillai and Salem Taluks famous for weaving silk Dhotis'. The Ammapet weaver's co-operative society has a turnover of 2.40 crores and its main products are cotton sarees, bed sheets, towels, silk sarees and dhotis.

Apart from this, Salem is the main market for Coir yarn. Coir rope making is another major cottage industry. Ropes are made by people out of the fibres of coconut, Aloe vera, Cotton, Jute. Many of the coir rope making industries are concentrated in omalur and tharamangalam blocks.

With no trade hub, the merchants in Salem are dependent on merchants from other states making trips here or they have to travel around the country to sell their products.

These specialties’ are now demanding for special zones and trade promotion activities so that the district would flourish and other development work will follow to keep pace.

According to A Parthiban, an IT professor in a private engineering college, the previous DMK government did set up an IT park spending crores of rupees but the park has been empty for more than three years as it has not been opened yet.