Factory reset: Production slumps in the powerloom hub of Bhiwandi

Hit hard by volatility in yarn prices, 50% of the looms said to be operating only 3-4 days a week

In the powerloom hub of Bhiwandi, near Mumbai, Covid-19 cases have been declining since last September, and there has been no coronavirus-related death since the beginning of this year. People have stopped wearing masks, and looking at the town’s bustling markets and streets, you’d think life was back to normal. 

Not so. Though the fear and ferocity of the pandemic has receded, Bhiwandi’s core powerloom industry is in deep crisis. The volatility in yarn prices has posed a severe challenge to powerloom owners who resumed full-fledged operations only in August last year. 

While Torrent Power, which distributes power to the