Citation :

Pratheesh Padath, Ajeesh Babu. B, "Technological Integration, Mechanization and Innovation in the Coir Industry: Production Transformation, Sustainability and Socio-Economic Implications in India," International Journal of Recent Engineering Science (IJRES), vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 24-39, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23497157/IJRES-V13I3P103

Abstract

The coir industry remains one of India’s most important agro-based rural industries, contributing to employment generation, export earnings, and the utilization of renewable natural resources, particularly in coconut-growing regions of southern India. For much of its history, production depended on labor-intensive practices such as manual fibre extraction, hand spinning, and conventional processing methods, which constrained productivity, product diversification, and technological advancement. While existing studies have examined mechanization, fibre technology, sustainability, labour conditions, and product development as separate themes, limited attention has been paid to the interconnected role of technological innovation, institutional support, and industrial transformation within a single analytical framework. This article examines the technological modernization of India’s coir industry through an interdisciplinary analysis of mechanization, process engineering, product innovation, sustainability, and socio-economic change. The study is based on secondary sources, including engineering research articles, policy documents, institutional reports, doctoral theses, and technical studies relating to coir production and industrial development. Drawing on perspectives from industrial engineering, political economy, industrial sociology, and sustainable manufacturing, the analysis explores the changing technological foundations of the sector and their wider implications. The findings indicate that improvements in fibre extraction technologies, mechanized spinning systems, process optimization techniques, and coir-based composite applications have enhanced production efficiency, product quality, and industrial competitiveness. Technological advances have also broadened the range of coir products into geotextiles, biodegradable packaging, horticultural products, construction materials, and polymer composites. Institutional initiatives undertaken by the Coir Board and specialized research organizations have played a central role in facilitating modernization and product diversification. At the same time, financial constraints, uneven technological adoption, and fragmented production structures continue to limit the pace of transformation. By examining technological change, institutional support, sustainability, and socio-economic implications within a single analytical framework, the article contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of modernization processes in traditional rural industries and the challenges associated with achieving inclusive and environmentally responsible industrial transformation.

Keywords

Coir Industry, Mechanization, Technological Modernization, Coir Composites, Sustainability, Fibre Extraction, Innovation, Productivity, Industrial Transformation.

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