Severe floods that hit Kerala have affected its textile and apparel industry too. Though Kerala is not a strong hub for textile or clothing, but it has a reasonable size of the sector.
Big industry player like Kitex Garments, India’s number one kidswear export company, has a unit in Kizhakkambalam near Kochi. Though it has hostels for its workers, but due to water logging and power cut, its production has been affected to a great extent. It has nearly 20 per cent workforce from Kerala across all its units.
Project Garments, another textile company of the state, faced delay in shipments due to huge absenteeism even after normalcy returned in the area after flood. “Out of our 120 workers, so far, just 40 have come to work. We were expecting that workers will be back after Onam festival, but till 27th August, even less than 30 per cent workers were back to work. Our shipments have been delayed,” informed Abraham, GM of the company. The company has its unit in Kochi SEZ, Kakkanad (Cochin).
Manoj, Branch Manager, IIGM, Kochi shared, “Overall industry suffered almost for one month as the problem started on 14th August and increased in next few days. We are hopeful that by the end of the first week of September, things will again start moving properly.”
To support Kerala at this time of disaster, the textile and apparel industry itself has come forward. Some companies have donated in relief funds, while few have come with direct support.
In a Tweet, Smriti Irani, Minister of Textiles said, “MoT mobilized all textiles association, EPC and textile units to contribute towards relief operations. Textiles material and funds of more than Rs. 18 crore donated by units across the country. To mention few- Welspun, Kutch dispatched more than 25,000 towels, Indo Count Industries, Kohlapur sent more than 15,000 bed sheets, National Textile Corporation (NTC) arranged more than 53,000 garments and bedsheet, towel etc and South India Mills Association (SIMA) contributed material and funds of more than Rs. 1 crore.”
Pratibha Syntex, Indore, also donated 9,000 pairs of new clothes to the flood ravaged state.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
