The Palladam Hi-tech Weaving Park (PHWP) was the first park to be developed under the Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) of the Textiles Ministry by availing 40 per cent grant from the Centre and 9 per cent grant from the State Government. The park houses 90 factories with world-class infrastructure facilities like uninterrupted power supply through dedicated feeder, water supply, training centre, hostel facilities for workers, etc. The Palladam cluster, with around 1.5 lakh looms, providing direct jobs to over three lakh people, was suffering due to old technology looms and facing problems in capturing the international market in the post-WTO regime.
Realizing the need, Mr. M. Senthilkumar, former Chairman of the Powerloom Development & Export Promotion Council and the current Chairman of the Southern India Mills’ Association, took the initiative and promoted the Palladam Hi-Tech Weaving Park. Currently, the park is manufacturing high quality fabrics, made-ups, etc., and exporting 100 per cent to Europe, the US, etc. The success story of PHWP motivated several small and medium weavers in the Palladam cluster to install around 10,000 shuttleless looms in the last decade and enabled it to become one of the leading exporting clusters in India.
Recognizing its excellent performance, the Union Minister of State for Textiles presented the overall Best Performing Park to PHWP at the national workshop held in Surat in April 2015.
The Union Minister of State for Textiles, Mr. Santosh Kumar Gangwar, who visited the park recently laid the foundation stone for the apparel manufacturing unit of BKS Textiles P. Ltd. under the Scheme for Additional Grant for Apparel Manufacture (SAGAM) and inaugurated the PHWP Hostel Block for textile workers under the Scheme for Textile Industry Workers’ Accommodation (STIWA). He also opened an apparel manufacturing unit of Bannari Amman Spinning Mills Ltd. under the Scheme for Textile Industry Workers’ Accommodation (SAGAM).
The Union Government provides 50 per cent grant, subject to a maximum of Rs. 3 crores, under STIWA for workers’ hostel and 40 per cent, subject to a maximum of Rs. 10 crores, under SAGAM for establishing garmenting units in the SITP park to encourage value addition and create new jobs.
After visiting the park, the Minister appreciated the facilities provided there and also the excellent team work of the PHWP members.
On the occasion, Mr. Senthilkumar made a presentation to the Minister highlighting the park’s features and its progress.