Industry

Industry

The location of Trichur district in Kerala is ideal for industrial development. Position of the city, facilities for transporting goods through rail, road and water, near to the Cochin port and availability of cheap man power etc... are favorable to the development of industry. Electricity and water supply are factors congenial for the growth and development of industries. But industrial development has been handicapped for want of natural resources and the raw materials required for the major manufacturing industries. As such there are no major manufacturing industrial establishments in Trichur town of Trichur district. The only mineral resources available are several varieties of building stones, viz. late rite, gneiss, charanokite, dolerite and gabbros in all parts of the district. A type of clay containing iron compounds occurs in several parts of the district and is used for tile and brick manufacture. The brick and tile industry is the most important industry in the district. The clay required for the manufacture of tiles and bricks are found in places like Ollur, Pudukkad, Karuvannur, Amballur etc. which are the main centers of the industry.

The Timber industry is also of considerable importance. Most of the timber is brought down from the forests to Trichur and Chalakudy which are most important timber in the district. There are many saw mills in these areas with up-to-date plant and machinery and operated by electric power. Industries like Rice mills, beedi manufacture, Manufacture of coir and coir products, Cotton spinning and weaving mills, processing of cashew nuts and fruits, fish preservation, production of edible oils and fats, tailoring & manufacture of cotton thread are the most important in the district in the order of employment figures. Manufacture of wooden boxes, ayurvedic medicines, stone goods, stoneware, agricultural implements, jewellery, and leather goods. Imitation stones, brass utensils and repairing and servicing of motor vehicles are the other developed industries.

There are 296 registered factories in the district in 1961. There is an Industrial Estate at Ollur nearly 71/2km.(41/2miles) away from Trichur town.

The important cottage industries in the district are the handloom weaving, Khadi and coir industry. Engineering workshops and foundries are many in number but they are invariably small units.         
The establishments of a large number of manufacturing industries is urgently required to provide adequate employment opportunities for the growing masses and to stabilise the economy of the district. There is good scope for the growth and development of agro-based and forest-based industries.

There are six textile mills in the district and six power loom factories in the co-operative sector and also an institutional power loom complex is here.  The Alagappa, Kerala Lakshmi, Trichur Cotton Mills, Rajagopal and Sitharam are some of the oldest textile mills in the district.  The earliest textile mill in the district is Sitharam (1909) Spinning and Weaving Mills.  The Madura Coats, famous for its cotton sewing threads, all over the country, is also functioning here.
     

Tile industry is the most important industry in the district employing the largest number of both men and women labourers. Roofing tiles, wall bricks and floorings tiles are made in various parts of the district.  About 200 tile factories are now supplying tiles throughout Kerala and neighbouring States.  Places like Ollur, Pudukkad, Puthur, Karuvannur, Amballoor etc, are famous for tile making.  Timber, Soap making, Canning, Diary Unit, Oil Mills, Printing, Match Industry etc, are other the main industrial units in this district.
    

Cottage industry like handloom weaving, wood carving, and metal industry are some other important industrial units found in this field.  The main cottage industry found here is handloom weaving.  Poomangalam and Aripalam in Mukundapuram taluk and Kuttampilli and Thiruvillwamala in Thalappilli taluk are well known weaving centres in this district.  Khadi and Village Industry Thrissur are famous in the Khadi field.  Several Khadi Board units are being run in a very well manner in the various parts of the district.  Bee-keeping is also an important cottage industry here.
     

There are more than five village pottery units in this district. Manufacturing of coir products is also another important cottage industry.  Kodungallur, Kottappuram, Chittatukara etc. are some of the important coir yarn producing centres.  Parur Special Coir Yarn is well known for its quality.  In Kandasamkadavu, Nattika and Manalur areas rope yarn is produced commonly.
    

Areca nuts and cashew are other important occupational sections in the district. Grass mat and Basket making, one of the very ancient industries, provides livelihood for hundreds of families in the district.  There are match and beedi making units, leather and leathern products, umbrella making, engineering workshops and foundries also in Thrissur.  Hundreds of girls are engaged in assembling electronic products like stabilizers etc.  The main assembling units are run by Kasturba Trust and Kess.
  

Steel Industry Forgingo Ltd, Keltron Power Devises and Refractories, Chalakudy Refractories, Eddy Currents, Kerala Solvent Extractiions, Kerala Chemical and Proteins Ltd, Mittal Steel Re-rolling and Allied Industries (p) Ltd, Appollo Tyres etc. are some of the major industrial units in the district.Bell-Metal, Imitations Stone Polishing (Artificial diamond) etc. are also well advanced industrial units here.
 
Here were two industrial development plots – Athani and Kunnamkulam. The Sidco Mohan Tools and 21 auxiliary units are run at Athani Steel Industries Limited; Kerala (SILK) is another concern in Athani, New Industries Plot.  More than 10 mini industrial estates are in the district.