Knitting has been a popular hobby as well as a means of livelihood for many since time immemorial in India. Exquisite designed shawls were popular even during the Mughal period and they were woven with gold and silver threads. By the third quarter of the 18th century, Kashmir or Cashmere shawls became one of the fine woolen wear in India, and were demanded in all the fashionable circles of the west and trade was well established with China, Afghanistan, Turkey etc. The northern areas of the country has a long tradition of spinning and hand weaving, which in turn is responsible for the growth of the knitting industry. Due to the severe winter in the northern parts of India for around three to four months every year, the demand for wearable and non-wearable knitted garments was regular.

It is estimated that India now has a sheep population of more than 45 million, producing around 40 million kilograms of raw wool. India is the sixth largest sheep rearing country in the world possessing approximately 4.1 per cent of the world's sheep population and producing about 1.1 per cent of the world's wool. Financial support is now being provided by the Government of India and various handloom and handicraft promotion bodies to market the surplus produce of the traditional artisans of our country.

Some of the major production centers of knitting yarns and garments in India are as follows:

• Tirupur
• Ludhiana
• Himachal Pradesh
• Other Places

Tirupur
Fashion is mainly dependable on industry as well as society in a probationary manner. Knitwear industry in Tirupur has clearly identified the definition of fashion. Creation of both value added and fashionable knitted garments is the key factor in driving out the value-hidden stuff of the knitwear exporters in Tirupur with a motive or aim to reach the buyers or consumers who believe in right choice of selection.

Tirupur located 55 km to the east of Coimbatore city in Tamil Nadu is known as the hosiery capital of India. It accounts for 90% of India's cotton knitwear export which is worth an estimated Rs 4,000 crores. Inspite of being severely handicapped by poor infrastructure. Tirupur has a unique significant presence at the lower end of the international knitwear and hosiery market.

Local market of Tirupur is around 800 crore Indian rupees. There are more than 2500 apparel manufacturing units and 750 dyeing units in the city. Tirupur also has 300 printing units, 100 embroidery units and 200 other units like compacting, raising and calendering units. Market of Tirupur is around Rs 8500 crores and local market is about 1500 crores according to a recent report. Every year, millions of pieces of underwear come out of Tirupur. Tirupur's hosiery factories are profitable successes and are considered as small jewels in India's economy.

Tirupur is one of the largest source of Foreign Exchange for the country because of its exports. This city is famous for the export of all Knitwears like T-Shirts, Polo - Shirts, Sweat Shirts, Banyans, Pajamas & Night Dresses on various fabrics like Single Jersey, Interlock, Fleece, Polar Fleece, Drop Needle, Pique Jersey, Pointelle Jersey, Pointelle RIB, RIB, etc. The hosiery and knitwear business in this city has long been held out as a model for the export-led growth path.

Ludhiana
Also known as "Manchester of India", Ludhiana in the State of Punjab is a big center for knitwear production. Ludhiana started its first hosiery unit in the beginning of 20th century and today the city boasts of housing more than 6000 small to medium size knitwear factories, 10 big hosiery yarns mills, about 150 small to medium size worsted and some woollen yarn factories, about 120 yarn and fabric dyeing factories, besides manufacturers of knitting machines, stitching machines, knitting needles, labels and packaging materials. About one third of the population of the city is engaged in the knitwear business, directly and indirectly.

Knitting industry in Ludhiana is no longer a seasonal industry and the knitting exports from the city have been to the tune of Rs 1,200 crore till mid 2006. Ludhiana makes an hosiery turn over of approximately US$ 40 million annually with exports equivalent to 30 percent of its production. The countries to which exports are mainly are Europe, USA and Middle East countries. Infact, it is difficult to locate a country where Hosiery products of Ludhiana are not exported.

A Rs 250 crore fashion technology park (FTP) has been set up at Mohali near Ludhiana. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Knitwear Club, Shawl Club and Ludhiana Integrated Textile Park has been signed to provide designing facility to the Ludhiana knitting industry at its doorstep, and also to get manufacturing done from industry.

Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh has a long tradition of hand knitting. How else can we forget the traditional knitted kulu shawls or caps or dresses of that region? There are various small scale knitting mills in Himachal Pradesh.

It is seen that local industrialists of Punjab, particularly hosiery manufacturers, have shown interest in establishing knitting units in Himachal Pradesh. Baddi and Nalagarh are two important towns in the state which have great scope for growth. One of the basic reason to move out to Himachal Pradesh is the Centre's announcement of benefits for three states - Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Jammu and Kashmir. Himachal Pradesh is exempted from paying income tax and central excise duties for 10 years and there are concessions in sales tax.

Baddi has already come up as an industrial township. There are almost 70 large-scale, medium-scale and small-scale industrial units in Baddi. Nalagarh is another township coming up.

As per a report in 2001, sheep population of Himachal Pradesh was nearly 11 lakhs. Good quality knitting yarns are available at Karchham in Kinnaur district, Jeori in Shimla district, Tal in Hamirpur district and Sarol in Chamba district. Wool analysis laboratories have also been set up in these units. Angora rabbit breeding is also given priority. Himachal Pradesh has emerged, as the source of rabbit and technical know-how on rabbit breeding for other states also. There is also the Himachal Pradesh Wool Federation to strengthen the benefit of the sheep breeders as well as knitters.

Other Places
Though Tirupur and Ludhiana are considered to be the major production centers of knitting yarns and garments in India, there are other centers in various parts of India which are equally important as well. India has a long tradition of knitwear. Starting as a hobby, knitting has today emerged as growing industry.

Knitting centers exist in different parts of India such as

Amritsar Jalandhar Gurdaspur Mohali Sialkot Dhariwal Kashmir

Gujarat Patiala Kangra Shimla Kapurthala Hoshiarpur

Varieties of Shawl Producing Centers in India

• Finer varieties of shawls and tweeds are produced in Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and the border districts of Rajasthan.
  
  
• The medium varieties of shawls, tweeds, blankets are produced in the plains of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
  
  
• The coarse varieties like kamblies and ghongadise are produced in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

We have the traditional artisans in the hilly ranges of the Himalayas who still continues to use the homespun woolen yarn for production of khadi caps, mufflers and blankets. Due to the severe winter in the northern parts of the country, the demand for wearable and non-wearable woolens and knitted garments is regular. The artisans living in these parts produce woollen clothes mostly for their own use by using handspun woolen yarn.

In India, the knitting industry is both organized as well as decentralized. The major portion of the woollen readymade garment industry is concentrated in the northern states, especially Punjab. Ludhiana and Mohali are known worldwide for their readymade woollen garment industries set up with the help of the Government of India and are using modern machinery for buttonholing, button stitching, auto mass cutting, overlocking etc.