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Industry notes

Tamil Nadu’s industry clusters

A field guide to 22 clusters: what each one makes, how it began, how the business works there and what is under pressure now, with company profiles and case studies. Every figure is linked to its public source. We publish one cluster at a time, after the research is complete; the map shows all 22.

41,221factories, the most of any state in India (2024-25) DT Next ↗
41%of India’s electronics exports (2024-25) DT Next ↗
43%of India’s women factory workers work in Tamil Nadu ThePrint ↗
40+products with a registered GI tag Wikipedia ↗
Chennai: the Detroit of Asia: in preparationChennaiSriperumbudur: phones for the world: in preparationSriperumbudurChennai and Tenkasi: software for the world: in preparationTenkasiPalar beltKanchipuram: the silk saree: in preparationKanchipuramHosur: watches, mopeds and precision: in preparationHosurKrishnagiri: Tamil Nadu’s mango basket: in preparationKrishnagiriSalem: sago, steel and silk: in preparationSalemNamakkal and Tiruchengode: eggs, lorries and borewell rigs: in preparationNamakkalErode: turmeric and the cloth market: in preparationErodeTiruppurCoimbatoreCoimbatore: the Manchester of South India: in preparationKarur: home textiles for the world: in preparationKarurThe Nilgiris: tea on the blue mountains: in preparationNilgirisTiruchirappalli: India’s boiler capital: in preparationTrichyThanjavur and Swamimalai: art you can hold: in preparationThanjavurMadurai: buses, eye care and jasmine: in preparationMaduraiDindigul: the trick locks: in preparationDindigulSivakasiKovilpatti, Srivilliputhur, Palani: sweets the law protects: in preparationGI sweetsThoothukudi: the port of the Tamil who sailed ships: in preparationThoothukudiOur office

All 22 clusters are marked. Published clusters open when tapped; the rest are in preparation. Positions are approximate. Map outline: SVG Maps, CC BY 4.0

Chennai and the north

5 clusters · cars, phones, software, leather and silk
Ranipet · Vellore · Ambur · VaniyambadiThe Palar leather belt: how hides become export shoesTanneries, upper units and shoe factories along one river valley make a large share of India’s leather exports.37%+ of Tamil Nadu’s leather exports came from three towns of the belt (2017)1 company profile1 case study1 growth storyRead the story →

In preparation

  • Chennai Cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, tyres and parts
  • Sriperumbudur Smartphones, electronics and components
  • Chennai · Tenkasi Software products used in every continent
  • Kanchipuram Pure mulberry silk sarees woven with zari

West and Kongu

10 clusters · knitwear, pumps, mango, eggs, tea and more
TiruppurTiruppur: how India’s knitwear cluster worksNine of every ten cotton knitwear garments India exports come from Tiruppur.~90% of India’s cotton knitwear exports come from Tiruppur1 company profile2 case studies1 growth storyRead the story →CoimbatoreCoimbatore: how the pump and motor cluster worksAbout two of every five pump sets made in India come from Coimbatore, built from parts made in hundreds of small workshops.3 in 4 wet grinders made in India come from Coimbatore1 company profile1 case study1 growth storyRead the story →

In preparation

  • Hosur Two-wheelers, trucks, watches and precision parts
  • Krishnagiri Mangoes, mango pulp and fruit products
  • Salem Sago and starch from tapioca, stainless steel, handloom
  • Namakkal Eggs, truck bodies and drilling rigs
  • Erode Turmeric, powerloom and handloom cloth, carpets
  • Coimbatore mills Spinning mills and the machines that run them
  • Karur Bed, kitchen, table and bath linen
  • Nilgiris Orthodox and CTC tea, frost tea

Centre and the delta

2 clusters · boilers, bronze and veenas

In preparation

  • Trichy Boilers, heavy fabrication, railway and defence works
  • Thanjavur Veenai, art plates, nodding dolls and bronze icons

The south

5 clusters · jasmine, locks, fireworks, sweets and a port
SivakasiSivakasi: how the fireworks, matches and printing cluster worksAbout 85% of India’s organised fireworks trade is made around Sivakasi, in sheds built far apart, and most of it is sold in the six weeks before Diwali.85%+ of India’s fireworks are made in and around Sivakasi (2024)1 company profile2 case studiesRead the story →

In preparation

  • Madurai Transport, eye care and Madurai malli
  • Dindigul Hand-made locks, from mango locks to temple locks
  • GI sweets Kadalai mittai, palkova and panchamirtham
  • Thoothukudi Port, shipping and salt

13 pieces

All company profiles and case studies

Listed town by town. Public information only; a story is not an endorsement or an investment view.

Written by Boovaraghavan & Co., Cost Accountants, as part of our notes on Tamil Nadu industry. Write to us if you spot an error or have a question about costing in these industries.