The shawl industry of the holy city Amritsar with more than 47 new manufacturing units having sophisticated 400 shuttle-less rapier looms with electronic jacquards are engaged in manufacturing shawls having an annual turnover of Rs 1,000 crore, seeks separate classification in the export category to factually assess its share in exports. So far shawl is clubbed with the readymade category.

Shawls knitted are being exported to more than 70 countries in the world, including Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Finland, Denmark, Italy, Canada, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Russia, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, besides others.

The Shawl Club of India president, PL Seth, said that most of these units are Woolmark Licensee as they receive raw material for shawls from Australia’s Ne Marino Wool, also known as apparel wool.

Apart from shawls, imported wool is also used in manufacturing woollen apparels including suiting, dress material, gents Lohi and Kullu shawls.

As many as 4,500 latest embroidery machines were installed by entrepreneurs here during 2002-09 for value additions. Besides, dyeing and finishing, woollen and worsted spinning mills cone dyeing of yarns. Printing industries are well established here to support textile units, which is now of international standard.

Rough estimates suggest that share of shawls stands at Rs 750 crore. Out of this figure, the holy city exports shawls worth Rs 450 crore.