Industries

KMML

There are 17 large, and one medium scale industries in the district, of which, two are Central Government undertakings i.e., The Kerala Minerals & Metals, ChavaraThe India Rare Earths, Chavara and Parvathi Mills Ltd., Kollam. Kerala Ceramics Ltd., Kundara, Travancore Plywood Industries, Punalur, Kerala Electricals and Allied Engineering Company, Kundara, Kerala Premo Pipe Factory Chavara, Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited, Chavara, United Electrical Industries Kollam, The Kerala Agro-Fruit Products, Punalur and Kerala Government owned companies. Other major industries in private/co-operative sector are - Aluminium Industries Ltd., Kundara, Thomas Stephen & Co., Kollam, Floorco Paravur, Co-operative Spinning Mill, Chathennur and Punalur Paper Mills , Punalur. About 8622 SSI units have been registered in the district.

Cashew processing and Coir production are also major industrial vocations of the district. Handloom industry, Clay and wood based industries also contribute to the industrial advancement of the region.

Cashew

Cashes processing is a major industrial activity in the district. The Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation (KSCDC) is the largest processor of cashewnut in the world. At present, it has 34 factories. K.S.C.D.C. provides employment to more than 26,000 workers. K.S.C.D.C. exports cashew kernels and cashewnut sell oil. It also manufactures tannin from cashew testa; a by-product. The available rawnuts in the state can feed the factories to only one third of its capacity and hence rawnuts are imported from abroad.