The important industrial ventures in the district are the
coffee and tea processing units in the big estates. Mananthavady has the
maximum number of small-scale industries. Category-wise distribution of
small scale industries shows that there are 349 food products
manufacturing units, 107 chemical units, 10 leather based units, 5 hosiery
units and 1,310 other type of units. Thavinjal does not have any
small-scale unit.
There are 41 industrial co-operative
societies. Poothadi has the maximum number and three panchayats do not
have any industrial co-operative societies at all. Under private sector,
mechanical watch assembling unit started at Kalpetta is running
profitably. Other important industrial units started recently and proved
to be viable are one soap unit having an investment of Rs.59 lakhs at
Sulthan Bathery, a biscuit unit at Ambalavayal, a diamond cutting unit at
Kamblakkad (providing
employment to more than 100 laboureres), a dozen cement hollow brick
units, two offset presses, one plastic waste recycling unit at Ambalavayal,
one barbed wire unit at Kolagappara and one Hawaii sheet manufacturing
unit at Meppady.
Two medium scale industrial units
have started commercial production of brassier hooks at Sulthan Bathery by
using imported machinery worth Rs.3 crores with financial assistance of
kerala State Industrial Development Corporation. A porcelain unit at
Meenangadi is nearing completion and is expected to be commissioned within
six months.
