Balaji, 27, was earning $23,000 per month as the production manager of a medium-sized hosiery factory in Tiruppur till a fortnight ago. He currently operates a taxi. After experiencing a recent decline in sales, the hosiery section was forced to fire him. “I’m searching for a new job, but I’m not sure when I’ll get one, “Balaji admits.
The capital of Indian knitting, Tiruppur, is in trouble, as any astute observer will see from the obvious symptoms. The town’s once-busy traffic is abnormally light. The absence of the vehicles used to transport textile supplies across the town stands out. The majority are parked in the Royapuram neighbourhood at the town’s big truck stand, where the drivers spend the time by watching movies on their phones. Good, there wasn’t much time to get meals. The issue we currently have is a lack of movies to view, quipped one truck driver bitterly. He didn’t want to give his name.
Store owners claim that as a result of clients’ tightening their purse strings due to worry about the future, foot traffic has drastically decreased. Balaji is one of the many people who lost their jobs and now must look for new employment to make ends meet. There is a definite sense of gloom.
The status of the knitwear industry, which is the town’s economic backbone, is the cause of the gloom. 55% of India’s $60,950 crore worth of knitwear exports come from Tiruppur (typically T-shirts and vests). However, a dramatic decrease in export orders following the The sector is struggling as a result of the Russia-Ukraine War, the effect of imports on domestic demand, and fluctuating cotton prices.
