The story
Erode district has long been a weaving belt, with cooperative handloom societies in Chennimalai, Bhavani and nearby towns. The Bhavani jamakkalam, a thick striped cotton rug, began with the Jangamar weaving community and became a GI product in 2005. Powerlooms later spread across the district and Erode grew into a wholesale textile market. The state's free dhoti-and-saree scheme and school uniform orders keep many societies busy.
In numbers
Erode district has 191 handloom weavers' cooperative societies and 57 powerloom weavers' cooperative societies.
Handlooms — Erode district administration · 2026More than 50,000 powerloom weavers and ancillary workers work in the district; 11,893 powerloom weavers received subsidised electricity in 2025-26.
Handlooms — Erode district administration · 2026Bhavani Jamakkalam is a registered GI (application 16, certificate 9).
GI Registry — Bhavani Jamakkalam, application 16A Weaving Cluster in Erode and a Coir and Coir Products Cluster in Erode are listed as completed MSE-CDP common facility centres.
Completed Common Facility Centres under MSE-CDP (as on 22 Mar 2024), Office of DC-MSME · 2024
GI tag
- Bhavani JamakkalamApplication no. GI Application No. 16 (Certificate No. 9)GI Registry, Intellectual Property India — application 16
Ways in for a newcomer
- Contract weaving for uniform and government-scheme cloth
- Online retail of Bhavani jamakkalam and Chennimalai bedsheets
- Yarn dyeing and sizing services for weavers
- Wholesale trading in Erode textile market
Problems the cluster faces
- Powerloom copies sold as handloom GI goods
- Ageing handloom weavers and few young entrants
- Thin margins and dependence on government orders
- Yarn price swings
Businesses to start here
Bedsheet Weaving Unit (Power Loom) →Handloom Gamcha (Loin Cloth) →Cotton Yarn Dyeing (Hank and Package Dyeing) →Yarn Twisting (Doubling) Job Work →Towel Manufacturing →Handloom and Handicrafts Retail Shop →