Tirupur took top slot as job creator, 44% of its population regularly employed

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: The textile industry continues to be the second largest employment generating sector in India and Tirupur in Tamil Nadu has emerged as the leader in creating the maximum number of jobs.

The textile industry in India traditionally, after agriculture, is the only industry that has generated huge employment for both skilled and unskilled labor in textiles. It offers direct employment to over 35 million in the country.

Quoting Census 2011 data, The Times of India reported that the Tirupur in Tamil Nadu tops the employment table among 506 cities and towns with 44 percent of its population reported as 'main workers'.

Tirupur is a major textile and knit wear hub contributing to 90 percent of total cotton knit wear exports from India. The textile industry provides employment to over six lakh people and contributed to exports worth Rs 200 billion (USD 2.9 billion) in 2014-15.

Others in the top five include Santipur in West Bengal, Erode and Rajapalyam in Tamil Nadu and Mangalagiri in Andhra Pradesh, all textile manufacturing hubs.