South Korean footwear manufacturer TKG Taekwang India Private Limited has secured approval to establish a Rs. 514 crore (US $53.96 million) mega non-leather footwear manufacturing facility at the ELCOT Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Navalpattu, Tiruchy. The project, which will be developed on 69 acres of land, is expected to manufacture athletic footwear for global brands, including Nike, and create 13,364 jobs.
The company had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government during the Global Investors Meet 2024. The proposal received clearance from the Unit Approval Committee on 8 June under Rule 18(2) of the SEZ Rules, 2006, marking a significant milestone in the implementation of the investment commitment announced at the summit.
ELCOT Managing Director K.P. Karthikeyan stated that ELCOT had approved the allocation of 28 hectares (69 acres) of land to TKG Taekwang for the project. He added that Guidance Tamil Nadu was working closely with the company to facilitate the implementation of the investment.
The facility will have an annual production capacity of nearly 14.98 million pairs of athletic footwear. The project is expected to employ 13,364 people, comprising 11,629 women, 1,602 men and 133 transgender persons, making it one of the largest employment-generating industrial projects proposed in Tiruchy.
Authorities have also approved the construction of an employee amenities block within the SEZ campus. The facility is projected to generate exports worth Rs. 5,453.5 crore (US $572 million) during its first five years of operation.
Commenting on the development, V.B. Jeganathan of Trichy Intra-City Development Endeavours noted that while land was available at the Thiruverumbur SIPCOT industrial estate, a footwear manufacturing unit had instead been allotted land within an ELCOT zone, which is primarily intended for information technology-related companies. However, he acknowledged that the project’s potential to generate substantial employment opportunities for women was a positive outcome.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
