The story
Coir spinning from retted coconut husk has been a cottage industry in Kerala's backwaters for centuries. In 1859 a European firm set up the first coir mat factory in Alappuzha, and the town became the centre of coir manufacture and export. Thousands of women spin yarn at home or in cooperatives, while larger firms weave mats and matting for global buyers. In recent decades many big producers have shifted part of their production to Tamil Nadu.
In numbers
India's coir and coir product exports reached ₹6,614.40 crore in FY 2025-26.
India's coir exports, rural employment and entrepreneurship growth — Indian Masterminds · 2026The coir industry in India has more than 7 lakh workers, about 80% of them women, and more than 21,000 coir units on the Udyam portal.
India's coir exports, rural employment and entrepreneurship growth — Indian Masterminds · 2026A 2022 study reports that almost all big producers and exporters of coir from Alappuzha have shifted or partly moved their base to Tamil Nadu, while small units and cooperatives remain.
Performance of coir industry in Alappuzha and the case of labour displacement — HIJRH · 2022Alleppey Coir is a registered GI (application 54, certificate 34).
GI Registry — Alleppey Coir, application 54
GI tag
- Alleppey CoirApplication no. GI Application No. 54 (Certificate No. 34)GI Registry, Intellectual Property India — application 54
Ways in for a newcomer
- Coir geo-textiles for road and erosion-control projects
- Designer coir mats and rugs for online and export buyers
- Coir pith and grow bags for horticulture
- Finishing, stencilling and packing job-work for exporters
Problems the cluster faces
- Production shift to cheaper Tamil Nadu units
- Low wages and fewer young spinners
- Competition from synthetic mats
- Pollution from husk retting in backwaters
Businesses to start here
Coir Yarn Spinning (Automatic Machines) →Coir Frame Mats (Corridor Mats) →Coir Matting on a Semi-Automatic Loom →Rubber-Backed Coir Mats →Coir Geotextiles on Anugraha Handlooms →Coir Mat Shearing and Stencil Printing →Coir Mat Finishing and Packing →Rubberised Coir Mattresses →