Coimbatore has no parallel among industrial hubs in the country. Tamil Nadu’s second highest revenue yielding district after Chennai, Coimbatore boasts a diverse manufacturing base, making anything from auto components and textiles to motor pumps, making it a large sourcing point for buyers.

Nicknamed the ‘Manchester of South India’ for its cotton fields that feeds the flourishing textile industry and the ‘Pump City’ due to the presence of a large number of pump makers who have set shop there, Coimbatore is a thriving manufacturing center.

Coimbatore also exports software, jewellery and poultry. It has diversified the economy to cater to the Information Technology industry through a skilled labour pool and special economic zones, attracting IT majors and technology service providers. But it is the auto component makers, many of whom are original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s) to multinational brands, that gives Coimbatore a special aura.

Local automobile manufacturers such as Tata Motors and Suzuki Motors source as much as 30 percent of their parts from Coimbatore.
The industrial city hosts more than 17 percent of India’s textile mills, while at least half of India’s motors and pumps are supplied by Coimbatore.

Given this vibrant manufacturing base, Coimbatore generates lot of cargo not just for domestic use but for exports as well.
Trade in Coimbatore mostly patronize Cochin Port for sending or receiving cargo given its proximity to the industrial hub.

The industrial city is also home to many logistic service providers, freight forwarders, custom house agents, warehouses and what not.
But is the logistics sector matching up to Coimbatore’s famed manufacturing prowess to help improve its competitiveness both within India and in overseas markets? What are the bottlenecks impeding Coimbatore’s march towards an even bigger supplier of industrial goods?

India Seatrade is bringing together a wide spectrum of logistic experts, policy makers and government officials on Friday 7 February 2025 at the O by Tamara, 483, Kamaraj Road, Uppilipaalayam, Singanallur, Coimbatore – 641015 to discuss issues and suggest ways to overcome them.