Ichalkaranji: Progressive Decentralised Textile Centre

There are about 160 sizing units, consisting of 250 sizing machines, which include conventional to modern machines and 1.2 lakh powerlooms in Ichalkaranji, explains Prof (Dr) PV Kadole and Prof (Dr) UJ Patil.

Ichalkaranji is a city in Kolhapur district in the state of Maharashtra. This city, popularly known as ‘Manchester of Maharashtra’, is one of the prominent centres of decentralised textile sector in India. In recent years, there has been phenomenal growth of textile industry in Ichalkaranji. In and around Ichalkaranji there are about 35 spinning mills, covering wide range of counts, ply yarns, ring and open-end yarns, and fancy yarns. These units are well equipped with machinery, R&D and product development facilities for quality and better productivity. Many of these spinning mills are 100 per cent export-oriented units. Thus, these spinning mills ensure easy availability of better quality raw material (yarn) required for weaving sector of this area.

Around 9,000 shuttle less weaving machines have been installed in Ichalkaranji. In all, technology selected for shuttle less weaving machines running in and around Ichalkaranji is having 50 per cent, 45 per cent, 5 per cent contribution of rapier, airjet and projectile technology respectively. Shuttle less weaving units also work on three similar kinds of trade systems such as job work from the trader, own set system and manufacture of finished fabrics.

Majority of the shuttle less weaving machines are imported from European manufacturers such as Picanol, Nuvo Pignone, Sulzer, Somet, Smit, Vamatex, Dornier, Toyota etc., which includes about 3,000 new showroom shuttle less weaving machines and remaining are secondhand used imported machines, whereas very less number of shuttle less weaving machines are from domestic shuttle less weaving machine manufacturers such as Himson, Laxmi, Alidhara, etc.