Among the traditional industries of the state, coir industry has prime significance. It is the biggest employment giver in rural Kerala, engaging around four lakh people. Eighty percent of the employers are women. But with proper direction and a growth mechanism, the sector can acquire the potential to generate still larger employment.

The industry also earns a foreign exchange of more than Rs. 800 crores per year. Directorate of coir development is the agency for implementing all policy decisions of the Government of Kerala regarding the coir industry. The Directorate is the controlling authority of the ten coir project offices at Chirayinkeezhu, Kollam, Kayamkulam, Alappuzha, Vaikom, North Paravur, Thrissur, Ponnani, Kozhikode and Kannur in the state.