A town built on textiles
Ichalkaranji is known for its textile activity and is a major centre in the decentralised sector, producing both grey and finished woven fabric. Local spinning mills supply the desired cotton and blended yarns, with some quantities procured from the southern states and Mumbai; the use of imported yarn is negligible. Fabric suitable for apparel, domestic use and some industrial applications is produced here.
The four industrial pockets
Industry in and around Ichalkaranji is concentrated in four industrial pockets:
- Ichalkaranji Industrial Co-operative Estate (including the City Industrial Estate) — established in 1959, spread across roughly 517 acres in three areas, with about 651 units, most of them textile-related.
- Laxmi Co-operative Industrial Estate — about 6 km north-west of the city, covering 350 acres with around 141 units, mostly textiles.
- Parvati Co-operative Industrial Estate — on the Ichalkaranji–Sangli road at village Yadrav, covering 266 acres with around 161 units, mostly textiles.
- Outskirts of Ichalkaranji — about 966 units, most of them textile-related.
How a garment is made
Garment manufacturing at the cluster follows a well-defined sequence:
- The garment is first designed according to the buyer’s sample, and a counter-sample is prepared with all components and raw-material details recorded.
- Costing is finalised at this stage.
- Once the sample and cost are approved, raw material is procured and processed to requirement.
- According to the design and size, patterns are prepared and components are cut and stitched.
- Value-added work is carried out before or after stitching, as the sample demands.
- The goods are checked, finished, re-checked and packed for dispatch to the final destination.
Many items are produced under the umbrella of readymade garments, and the manufacturing process for each varies too widely to detail exhaustively — but the sequence above captures the common flow.
The garment sector today
Exports from the cluster are approximately ₹5 crore, with direct manpower of about 4,000–4,500 people.
Note: the figures above are estimated values.