Coimbatore Wet Grinder

Lore & Background

P. Sabapathy developed the wet grinder in Coimbatore in 1955 and introduced it to other cities such as Chennai and Madurai. In 1963, P. B. Krishnamurthy started Lakshmi Grinders, which led to the commercial popularity of wet grinders. R. Doraiswamy invented the tilting wet grinder in 1975, and L. G. Varadaraj introduced the table top wet grinder, replacing grinders that had to be placed on the ground.

Coimbatore naturally emerged as a center for manufacture due to the availability of raw materials like granite stones, electric motor manufacturing units, and heavy equipment such as lathes, drilling and milling machines. As of 2015, the city had more than 700 wet grinder manufacturers with a monthly output of 75,000 units per every 100,000 produced in India. The industry employed 20,000 people directly and provided indirect employment to 50,000.

Reader's Guide

The Coimbatore Wet Grinder holds significance as a staple appliance in South Indian kitchens, enabling the preparation of batter for traditional dishes. Its recognition as a Geographical Indication in 2005–06 by the Government of India underscores its unique association with Coimbatore. The industry grew over ten times in the last few years due to procurement of nearly 22.5 million wet grinders by the Government of Tamil Nadu for free distribution to green family card holders, and in 2015, the Government of Puducherry announced distribution of free wet grinders to 3.37 lakh families. The cluster's yearly turnover rose from ₹225 crore in 2011 to ₹2,800 crore in 2015. In 2007, the Government of Tamil Nadu opened a center for manufacturing raw materials and a research center built at a cost of ₹28.8 million. Since 2014, e-commerce sales have grown considerably, aiding bulk sales and brand building. The legacy of the Coimbatore Wet Grinder lies in its invention by P. Sabapathy and its evolution through innovations like the tilting and table top models, cementing Coimbatore's role as a manufacturing hub.