What begins as discarded coconut husk is increasingly being transformed into a source of enterprise, employment and sustainable livelihoods across India’s coconut-growing regions. Coir, a natural, durable and eco-friendly fibre, is moving beyond its traditional applications as rural entrepreneurs turn it into value-added products ranging from mats and ropes to handicrafts, bio-fertilisers and innovative packaging solutions.
With support from the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), particularly through the Coir Board and the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), the coir sector is emerging as an important pathway to self-employment, women’s empowerment and local economic growth.
Woman entrepreneur turns coir waste into a growing enterprise
In Kadiyam in Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari district, Allam Gowthamy has transformed coconut fibre and coir waste into a successful enterprise.
After receiving specialised training at the Coir Board Training Centre, Dhawaleswaram, she established Adigo Coir Products during 2024-25 with a project cost of ₹10 lakh, supported by a ₹6.50 lakh bank loan and PMEGP assistance.
The unit manufactures eco-friendly doormats, ropes, decorative dolls and handicrafts. It has achieved an annual turnover of around ₹35 lakh and a profit of approximately ₹10 lakh, while providing direct employment to six women.
Gowthamy’s impact extends beyond her own enterprise. She has trained nearly 120 women in coir mat weaving, rope making and handicraft production, helping them develop livelihood opportunities.
Her success has also encouraged the establishment of around five additional coir units in nearby areas with support under the PMEGP.
Converting coir pith into bio-fertiliser
In Kerala, P. Surendran has demonstrated another avenue for adding value to coir waste by converting coir pith into an agricultural input.
Surendran established Sampoorna Plus Agro Fertilizer Enterprises (SAFE) in Kozhikode in November 2024. With training and technical support from the Coir Board, Kannur, and the Central Coir Research Institute (CCRI), Kalavoor, he began producing eco-friendly coir pith bio-fertiliser.
The product helps improve soil fertility and moisture retention, giving coir pith a productive use in sustainable agriculture.
Within a year, the enterprise developed a customer base of more than 500, sold over 20 tonnes of bio-fertiliser and generated a turnover of ₹13 lakh, with a profit of ₹4 lakh in FY 2024–25. The unit also employs five workers, including two women.
His journey highlights how technical support and innovation can turn a material with limited economic value into a viable green enterprise.
Coir’s long-standing role in rural economy
Coir has been an integral part of India’s rural economy for generations. Organised coir production in the country dates back to 1859, when the first coir factory was established in Alappuzha, Kerala.
The sector has since expanded across major coconut-producing regions. India is the world’s largest producer of coir and accounts for more than 80 per cent of global coir fibre production.
The industry also has a strong connection with women’s livelihoods, with women accounting for nearly 80 per cent of those engaged in fibre extraction and spinning.
The sector therefore connects a broad rural value chain comprising coconut farmers, workers, women artisans, cooperatives, entrepreneurs, manufacturers and exporters.
From raw fibre to value-added products
The economic potential of coir extends well beyond raw fibre production. Processing, design and technological innovation are enabling entrepreneurs to manufacture a diverse range of higher-value products.
These include mats and doormats, ropes and yarn, brushes and household products, decorative items and handicrafts, garden and horticulture products, and innovative eco-friendly packaging solutions.
Such diversification is helping create new markets while increasing the economic value generated from coconut-based resources.
Government support strengthening the coir value chain
The Coir Board, a statutory body under the Ministry of MSME, plays a key role in strengthening the sector through skill development, technology, research, market promotion, exports and welfare initiatives.
The Coir Vikas Yojana (CVY) supports technology and research, skill development, women’s training, domestic and international market promotion, industry development and worker welfare.
Through these interventions, people associated with the sector are being supported in acquiring new skills, adopting improved technologies, producing quality products and accessing larger markets.
Exhibitions, fairs, showrooms and export promotion activities are also providing coir producers with opportunities to showcase their products and connect with new customers and markets.
Innovation gives traditional fibre new applications
Research and development are further expanding the applications of coir. The Central Coir Research Institute has developed eco-friendly coir rail wheel axle packaging cups as an alternative to HDPE plastic cups.
Such innovations demonstrate how a traditional natural fibre can be adapted for modern industrial applications while promoting environmentally responsible production.
From traditional activity to modern enterprise
The experiences of entrepreneurs such as Allam Gowthamy and P. Surendran reflect the changing face of India’s coir sector. With access to skills, finance, technology, research and markets, a traditional rural activity is increasingly evolving into a source of modern, higher-value enterprises.
By converting locally available coconut resources and coir waste into marketable products, the sector is creating opportunities for entrepreneurship, women’s empowerment, employment and sustainable rural prosperity.
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