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Changing Face of Ludhiana Hosiery Cluster
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Knitwear City
knitwear production. So often this city is called as 'Manchester of India'. Starting its first hosiery unit in the beginning of 20th century, the city now boasts of housing more than 10,000 small to medium size knitwear factories. Other than these, there are at least 40 big integrated units for the manufacturing of cotton knitted fabrics and garments with state-of-the-art machinery. One third of the 1.2 million population of the city is engaged in the knitwear business, directly and indirectly. The other occupations of the city are agriculture, manufacturing cycles and parts, machine building and tools.

n and around Ludhiana there are 10 big hosiery yarns mills, about 150 small to medium size worsted and some woollen yarn factories. The city also accommodates about 120 yarn and fabric dyeing factories, besides manufacturers of knitting machines, stitching machines, knitting needles, labels and packaging materials.

The knitting industry is mainly based on V-bed hand flat, from 4 gauge to 12 gauge. Electronic knitting machines with CAD/CAM and full-fashioning are also used. There are at least 350 of computerised machines installed in different factories. For stitching they use overlockers, linkers and cup seaming, besides button-holing and stitching machines. For finishing they employ locally made flat bed steam pressing machines.

Lately, large number of hosiery units are manufacturing knitted fabrics on latest circular knitting machines. Fully cut & stitch garments are also made with imported stitching machines.

All kinds of yarns are used for making knitwear. Wool, mohair, acrylic, polyester and blends thereof are spun in worsted units. Lambs, Cashmere and blends thereof are spun in woollen units. Cotton yarns are spun in big spinning units equipped with latest machines.

The owners of the knitting units are very expert in designing the knitwear. Some factories, mainly fabric knitters and garment manufacturers, also employ professional designers. For dyeing and finishing cotton knitted fabrics they use overflow and jet dyeing machine controlled by microprocessors, hydro-extractors, centrifugal type as-well-as continuous, drying ranges with overfeed and calendar/compactors to give a final finish.

Ludhiana, the city of knitwear, makes an annual turn over of approximately US$ 1000 million of hosiery goods with exports equivalent to 30 percent of its production, mainly to Europe, USA and Middle East countries.