Karur: Karur is a small town in Southern India that specializes in the production of home textiles. It is especially known for the production of pillow covers, bedspreads as well as kitchen and table linen. Table mats from Karur are world famous. Karur mainly produces cotton home textiles by way of hand looms, while power looms are gradually being accepted. The traders of Karur are largely engaged in the supply of home textile raw material throughout India, the major markets being Delhi, Panipat and Mumbai among others. Some of them are engaged in exports.

On account of large scale production, Karur gets the benefit of reduced costs. This, together with the exceptional quality of its products, has enabled it to carve out a niche for itself in the production of home textiles. The turnover of the town was recently noted to be around Rs.3000 crore.

In spite of the obvious advantages that Karur has with respect to home textile production, it also has several limitations in this respect. The major drawbacks that the town faces are lack of proper roads, lack of availability of skilled manpower, lack of communication skills, shortage of good hotels and lack of organization, which limit growth to the full potential.

The home textile producers of Karur specialize in certain finishes, such as PVA, starch, stain repellent, water repellent and silicon finish. Some producers have begun the use of organic cotton and the use of different fabrics such as polyester, silk and poly cotton.

Panipat: The city of Panipat located in the state of Haryana is a major producer of woollen home textile products. The Panja durries produced in Panipat are famous the world over. These durries were initially made by rural women as part of dowry for their daughters.

The Panipat home textile industry has now grown to the extent that it earns a turnover of nearly Rs. 3000 crore per annum. The easy availability of raw materials and economies of scale leading to low cost of production are the major factors which have led to the development of Panipat as a major production and export hub for home textiles. It has also developed as a sourcing hub for raw material for home textiles.

Producers in Panipat have of late started experimenting with different fabrics such as polyester, silk and poly silk. Some producers have also started the use of natural fabrics such as bamboo and soya.

Like Karur, Panipat also has certain limitations which prevent it from reaching its full potential lack of mechanization and skilled manpower, lack of proper organization as well as lack of efficient infrastructure facilities. Palliwal Exports, SPJ Textiles Pvt. Ltd., Mahajan Overseas and Liberty are some of the eminent players in Panipat in terms of home textiles.

Cannanore: Cannanore, located in South India, is another hub that is well known for the production of home textiles. About 60% of the textile production done in this area is home textile. The home textile industry of Cannanore has an annual turnover of Rs. 300 crore.

In spite of Karur and Cannanore being located close together geographically, there is a notable difference between the products manufactured in the two places. The water that is available in Cannanore has special properties, due to which the fabric produced here has a different kind of shine and look.

Home textile producers in Cannanore are beginning to use fabrics such as cotton viscose, silk and cotton. Producers here are also adding value with the help of embroidery, bead work and sequin work.

Chennai: Chennai is the fourth largest metropolitan city in India and is the capital of Tamilnadu. It has emerged as a major production and export hub for home textiles. Being well connected with other parts of the world through road, air and water, Chennai does not face the limitations as the other hubs do. Moreover, being a metropolis, it has good infrastructural facilities and latest technology. It is comparatively easier to obtain skilled manpower and intellectual designers.

Home textile producers in Chennai usually source raw materials from Karur, to which value addition is undertaken. These producers are able to deliver better quality products within a shorter period of time with the benefit of technology and the services of experts. Several of these producers are also engaged in the export of home textiles. BKS Textiles and ADJ Textiles are two major players in home textiles in this area.

Delhi: Delhi, the capital of India, has emerged as one of the major production and export centres for home textiles. Being a metropolis, it has an efficient infrastructure and easy availability of skilled manpower. Most of the producers in Delhi source their raw material from Panipat, to which value addition is done.