Madurai :
It will be quite surprising to know that the China Nuclear Corporation is procuring valves from a Madurai-based company and the conveyor belts used in mines across the country are manufactured here. There were many such revelations at ‘Made in Madurai’, the three-day exhibition organised by Madurai District Tiny & Small Scale Industries Association (MADITSSIA) that began on Friday. It is generally assumed that high-end manufacturing in Madurai is negligible and the city’s economy is just about religious tourism. The exhibition is an emphatic announcement that manufacturing is thriving in Madurai and many products manufactured in the city have takers around the globe.
Aruna Alloy Steels Pvt Ltd at the outskirts of the city not only supplies valves made of carbon steel to nuclear plants in China but also supplies stainless steel valves for marine application to European countries including Norway, Germany, the UK. With consistent quality, the international orders were scaling up and the firm is expanding, the company sources said.
Madurai’s journey in manufacturing started in 1889, when Harvey Mills now known as Madura Coats, was set up. In the next few years, 27 more spinning mills came up turning the city into textile hub. Over the years, other industries also came up in the city. Renowned brands like TVS Sri Chakra, Fenner India, Hi-Tech Arai, Thiagaraja Mills, and many brands in food industry like Perry’s biscuits, Sastha oil, Anjali oil, health concerns like AVN Arokya established in Madurai by 1909 and Saibol, the ointment that cures many skin diseases established in 1937, came up. Some of these have carved out a unique name for themselves. For instance, eucalyptus tree in the region is called RS Pathy tree, after the company that started manufacturing medicine from the tree oil in Madurai since 1909.
The 125 stalls in the exhibition is representative of the sectors including engineering & fabrication, press metal components, chemical and allied products, agro products, electrical & electronics, printing & packaging, motor & pumps, paper & paper allied products, auto parts & components, pharmaceuticals, food processing, siddha medicines, granite, textiles & readymade garments, rubber and allied products. “Though many of the trade and industrial ventures were unique to the city in those days, we grew over the period adapting to changing times and technology to spread across the country. Many are not aware that Madurai supplies lot many products nationwide,” V Vinoth of Janatha Syrup company, a leading sarasaparilla (nannari) syrup manufacturer in the city.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai / by J. Arockiaraj, TNN / December 21st, 2013