The open end spinning mills in Tamil Nadu, numbering over 400, will soon have a common research and training facility in Coimbatore.
G. Arulmozhi, secretary of the Open End Spinning Mills’ Association, told The Hindu that the Centre (OSMA Training and Research Centre Private Limited) is coming up at Kalapatti at an investment of Rs. 1.5 crore. “It is expected to be commissioned in January or February,” he said.
Pilot mill
The Association has taken a building on rent and started installing machinery. The facility will be a pilot mill with 600 rotors, blow room and carding machinery. The open end spinning units can use the pilot mill to run trials and take up research. About 100 workers will be trained every month. The Textile Sector Skill Council will support in training machinery operators and technicians for the mills.
Mr. Arulmozhi said the open end spinners produce 10 lakh kg of coloured yarn and 15 lakh kg of grey yarn a day and provide direct employment to nearly 1.25 lakh workers. “We need 70,000 workers to operate the machinery alone. Almost 70 % are from Bihar, Assam, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh. When they go home once or twice a year, nearly 20 % of the workers do not return,” he said.
Train workers
Since the open end spinning mills are mostly small and medium-scale units, they do not have resources and infrastructure to train workers on their premises. The common facility can be used by all the mills to train the new and existing workers.

www.thehindu.com