The story
Thoothukudi's flat coast, strong sun and dry winds make it ideal for evaporating seawater and brine in salt pans. Salt-making here goes back centuries and was organised into large pans under British rule. Workers flood the pans, rake the crystals and heap the salt by hand from March to October. Much of the salt goes to chemical industries and iodised-salt packers across South India.
In numbers
Tamil Nadu produces 2.4 million tonnes of salt, roughly 11% of India, and Thoothukudi is the state's largest producer; salt is made from March to mid-October on about 25,000 acres (2021).
The Rani of Thoothukudi's salt pans — People's Archive of Rural India · 2021A recent season harvested about 2 million tonnes across 20,000 acres, supporting about 30,000 jobs; prices fell from ₹2,500 to below ₹1,500 per tonne due to cheaper Gujarat salt.
Thoothukudi records 2 million tons of salt across 20,000 acres — NewsBytes
Ways in for a newcomer
- Iodised and free-flow salt packing for regional brands
- Industrial salt supply to chemical plants
- Value-added salts (rock-salt blends, flavoured salt)
- Mechanised harvesting and transport services
Problems the cluster faces
- Price competition from Gujarat salt
- Unseasonal rain spoils harvests
- Hard working conditions and low wages
- Land being taken for ports and industry