Textile mills in Tamil Nadu are likely to be impacted by Maharashtra restrictions

COVID-19's spread in Maharashtra is expected to impact textile mills in Tamil Nadu, as nearly 40% of the yarn produced here is sold to Maharashtra's weaving units.

Industry sources said the Maharashtra government has not restricted movement of vehicles and has not asked the powerloom units to stop production. However, fearing the spread of the pandemic, several migrant workers at the weaving clusters in Maharashtra are returning to their home State. This is likely to affect production in the weaving units. Tamil Nadu, which is the largest yarn producer in the country, sells 40 % of the yarn to weaving clusters, such as Bhiwandi and Ichalkaranji, in that State.

According to reports, Maharashtra has 12 lakh powerlooms compared to 6.5 lakh in Tamil Nadu. As a result, yarn is in high demand. Textile mills in Tamil Nadu are likely to see a 10% to 20% effect for a few months due to the spread of COVID-19 and a worker shortage in Maharashtra.