Tirupur apparel exporters to achieve their vision on making the cluster a ‘zero defect textile manufacturing hub’ in India sought government support for a one-time intervention.

Tirupur Exporters’ Association president Raja M Shanmugham recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for making Indian manufacturing sector “zero defect and zero effect” from the ramparts of Red Fort last August, said that Tirupur industrial cluster is best suited to implement the initiative.

Knitwear fashion institute NIFT-TEA, founded by exporters, is already involved in running several projects of the government, including skill development initiatives, with the support of the Centre and state.

Shanmugham said that the institute, in their perception is in a unique position to undertake this exercise of making Tirupur cluster a zero defect textile manufacturing hub, albeit with support from all the stakeholders.

A NIFT-TEA study has revealed that at least two lakh employees will need to be upskilled in the Tirupur Apparel cluster. There is a need to modify the existing skill development scheme guidelines to include Skill Up gradation as the focus is now only towards creation of new skilled labour.

A massive state-funded initiative is the need of the hour to make the cluster a zero defect manufacturing hub. Even a 10 percent reduction in wastage/ defects would result in a saving of ₹2,000 crore a year, notwithstanding the additional growth in business volume.

As the industries in Tirupur , more than 80 percent can be categorised as MSME (Micro Small Medium Enterprises), lacking the scale for undertaking efficiency improvement initiative. These units are not generally keen to take a professional approach because of their size, knowledge levels and capacity to absorb costs.

The operation of the units here reveal that there is huge scope for improving the operational efficiency of MSMEs.