Kerala-based Kitex Garments has begun commercial production at its new manufacturing unit in Warangal, Telangana, marking a major milestone in its expansion outside its home state. The facility, operated by subsidiary Kitex Apparel Parks, is one of two large projects the company had proposed in Telangana.
The Warangal unit has been designed to produce 1.1 million pieces of ready-made children’s wear per day. Managing Director Sabu M. Jacob said the company had started nearly all operations and expected to reach full production capacity within the next two to three months. He emphasised that the new unit would play a crucial role as Kitex reworks its strategy to focus on newer markets, including India, where it plans to launch retail stores and franchise operations.
Until last year, Kitex shipped its entire production to the US. However, tariffs imposed by the American government have pushed the company to diversify its export portfolio. According to Jacob, the share of exports to the US has already fallen to about 92%, with Kitex tapping into customers in Europe. He noted that the UK and Russia are also under consideration as new markets and highlighted the company’s long-term aim of reducing its dependence on US buyers to just 25% of total sales.
Kitex’s 2024-25 annual report states that the company currently has the capacity to produce 432,000 pieces of apparel per day.
The company is also awaiting land registration for its second integrated plant in Telangana, located at Sitarampur near Hyderabad. The project, for which Kitex had broken ground in September 2023, has faced technical bottlenecks related to government departments, despite the company having paid for 250 acres of land. Jacob expressed confidence that the issues would be resolved soon, enabling the Sitarampur plant—designed to produce around 1.2 million pieces per day—to meet its December 2026 completion timeline.
Kitex had earlier announced investments exceeding Rs. 3,000 crore (US $ 340 million) in its Telangana facilities, with the annual report revising the figure to Rs. 3,550 crore (US $ 402 million).
