Sasikumar, Abhijith and Rajan, Rachel Mary (2024) Untwining coir: understanding the coir industries in Kerala. In: Proceedings of Relating Systems Thinking and Design, RSD12, 06-20 Oct 2023, Washington, D.C., USA.

Preview	Image Sasikumar_UntwiningCoir_Gigamap_2024.jpg Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (13MB) | Preview
Preview	Text Sasikumar_UntwiningCoir_Paper_2024.pdf Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (255kB) | Preview

Abstract

Kerala, the southernmost state in India, is known for its vibrant tourist destinations, exceptional healthcare, literacy, socio-economic well-being, and ecological diversity. But Kerala trails behind many other states when it comes to industrial development. This is ironic, considering the state was once the pioneering industrial region within the country. The gradual decline of industries in Kerala is due to several reasons, including policy changes within the state, lack of resources catering to large-scale industries, and other incentives to start new industries, just to mention a few. This map takes a closer look at readily and locally available raw materials to boost the industrial strength of the state. While looking at potential raw materials, two were mainly identified, namely coir and water hyacinth, abundantly available in Kerala. 61% of the entire coir produced in India is made in Kerala (MSME), while the invasive species water hyacinth is a major threat to water bodies in the state, coming second only to Assam. These make either of these natural fibres a potential raw material for industries.

Item Type:	Conference/Workshop Item (Paper)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	coir, Kerala, coir industry, coconut husk, golden fibre
Divisions:	Faculty of Design
Date Deposited:	30 Jun 2026 15:12
Last Modified:	30 Jun 2026 15:15
URI:	https://openresearch.ocadu.ca/id/eprint/5173

Actions (login required)

Edit View