The Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises released a comprehensive overview of India's coir sector, highlighting its significant economic contributions and growth trajectory. India remains the world's largest producer and exporter of coir and coir products, accounting for approximately two-thirds of global production. The industry has a turnover of approximately ₹16,000 crore and contributes close to 1% to India's GDP.
In FY 2025-26, India's exports of coir and coir products reached ₹6,614.40 crore, with the United States, China, Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom serving as major export destinations. The sector has demonstrated remarkable growth, with exports increasing by 305.70% from ₹1,630.33 crore in FY 2014-15. Major exported products include coir pith, fibre, yarn, and tufted mats.
The coir sector provides substantial employment opportunities, with over 7 lakh workers employed directly and indirectly across more than 21,000 coir units. Notably, 80% of the workforce comprises women from rural households. Through the Udyam registration portal, over 21,000 coir units have been formalized, employing 2.3 lakh persons within the MSME policy ecosystem.
The Ministry of MSME operates the Coir Vikas Yojana (CVY), a central sector scheme focused on sustainable development and growth of the coir sector. The scheme supports technology development, skill training, promotional programs, domestic and international market sales promotion, financial assistance for exports, and statistical compilation. Key achievements under this scheme include training over 68,000 persons (with more than 80% being women), developing more than 150 innovative machines and technologies, facilitating participation of over 1,000 exporters in international exhibitions, and providing more than ₹20 crores in financial assistance to over 850 entrepreneurs under Export Market Promotion.
The document also highlights several success stories of entrepreneurs who have benefited from government support programs. Smt. Ranjana Ramchandra Kadam from Maharashtra established a coir unit under the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) that manufactures coir ropes, pillows, and doormats while employing six people. Sampoorna Plus Agro Fertilizer Enterprises in Kerala achieved sales of over 20 tonnes of coir pith bio-fertiliser and built a customer base of 500+ within one year. Smt. Allam Gowthamy from Andhra Pradesh achieved an annual turnover of approximately ₹35 lakh and annual profit of around ₹10 lakh while employing six women. Shri G. Sabu from Kerala established a coir spinning unit that provides employment to 8-10 local workers, predominantly women.