Zoho-backed garment unit to anchor Nagapattinam’s major industrial push

NAGAPATTINAM Nagapattinam, one of Tamil Nadu’s most economically backward districts, is poised for a rare industrial breakthrough. On Tuesday, the foundation stone was laid for a ₹30-crore garment manufacturing facility at Sirangudi-Puliyur village in Kilvelur taluk — a project that could transform the local economy and create direct employment for up to 2,500 people, predominantly women.

The 1.5-lakh sq. ft. factory is being established through a collaboration between the district administration, software major Zoho Corporation, and Cibi Exports, headed by Tiruppur-based industrialist Cibi Anand, a long-time associate of Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu. The project is part of a broader initiative to bring sustainable, small and medium-scale industries to Tamil Nadu’s delta districts.

“This is only the beginning,” said Mr. Anand, “We want Nagapattinam to become a hub for inclusive manufacturing — where rural youth, especially women, find meaningful, dignified work without having to migrate.”

Mr. Anand, the project’s driving force, said the plant would specialise in Cutting, Making and Trimming (CMT) operations for knitwear exports. “Our idea is to source fabric from Tiruppur and carry out the finishing processes here, turning this into a clean, environmentally conscious ‘green’ industry,” he explained.

“We aim to establish about 10 such garment units across the delta region over the next few years.” Construction of the Sirangudi–Puliyur facility is expected to be completed within five to six months, he added.

Each production unit will employ about 2,000 workers, with women expected to make up nearly 80% of the workforce. The initiative also aims to strengthen Tamil Nadu’s local workforce participation in the textile sector and reduce dependence on migrant labour from other States, who currently make up a major share of the workforce in Tiruppur and other industrial clusters.”

“This is a pilot for something larger — if it succeeds, more industries in garments, agri-processing and allied sectors will follow,” said Mr. Vembu, who also hinted at expanding Zoho’s support for rural enterprises.

The project’s planning and coordination were overseen by Nagapattinam District Collector P. Akash.

In a brief interaction with reporters here, Mr. Vembu also confirmed that Zoho’s Arattai app was performing “remarkably well” and that an upgraded version would be released next week.