For nearly a century, Coimbatore has built its reputation on pumps that move water. Now, the city’s pump industry is looking to move up the value chain — from agricultural and domestic pumps to advanced industrial, smart, slurry and sewage pumping systems for global markets. Coimbatore’s pump-making legacy dates back to 1926, when the city introduced what is widely regarded as India’s first pump set. Since then, it has evolved into one of India’s leading pump-manufacturing clusters, with manufacturers, component suppliers, job-order units, testing facilities and engineering specialists. Its products and components are supplied to several global brands.Industry representatives said the next phase of growth would depend on the ability of local manufacturers to design and produce high-end pumps that meet global standards. Advanced technology, product design and engineering have traditionally been the cluster’s strengths. M A Sendilkumar, president of The Southern India Engineering Manufacturers’ Association (SIEMA), said the Scientific and Industrial Testing and Research Centre (SITARC), established by SIEMA and CODISSIA, had played an important role in developing import-substitution products. Among its key developments is an indigenously designed submersible slurry pump that was earlier sourced from overseas. The development has helped save foreign exchange and opened up export opportunities, he said. “Coimbatore has strong technical expertise and product-designing capabilities. These strengths have sustained the city’s pump industry for several decades,” Sendilkumar added.R Karthikeyan, president of Scientific and Industrial Testing and Research Centre (SITARC), said the facility had established a centre of excellence for advanced pumps and motors in Coimbatore with the support of the TN govt. A `13-crore project funded by the department of heavy industry has been completed to design and develop eight ratings of submersible slurry pump sets with smart controllers. The technology is aimed at mines, ore-processing industries and ash-handling systems in thermal power plants. SITARC has also established an Automatic Test System for Electric Motors, capable of testing motors ranging from 50 watts to 500kW.The facility, developed with reference to applicable Indian and international standards, will support product testing, validation and research by MSMEs. The industry is also seeking to diversify beyond its traditional focus on pure-water pumps, with manufacturers looking at slurry pumps, sewage pumps and other specialised equipment required by mines, ore-processing units, thermal power plants and infrastructure projects.This shift is expected to open up a larger market for the cluster. The industry is targeting growth in India’s pump market from an estimated `35,000 crore currently to `50,000 crore by 2031, with import substitution and export growth forming parts of the roadmap.K V Karthik of the Indian Pump Manufacturers Association (IPMA) said high-value pumps accounted for nearly 45% of the global market, but India’s share remained just 1% to 2%. He said domestic industrial pump manufacturing had gained momentum in recent years. While such pumps were largely imported earlier, Indian manufacturers now meet nearly 60% to 70% of domestic demand.“Coimbatore is known for agricultural and domestic pumps, but manufacturers are now entering industrial applications. The development of slurry pumps is an important step,” Karthik said. The submersible pump market is also witnessing growth, although falling groundwater levels remain a concern. High-efficiency brushless direct-current (BLDC) motors designed for solar pumping are emerging as an important technology in the segment.Kanishka Arumugam, co-CEO of EKKI and Deccan Pumps, said global pump market had reached an estimated $60.9 bn in 2025 and was projected to grow further in 2026. However, he cautioned that market growth measured in value terms did not indicate a corresponding increase in the volume of pumps sold. While the agri market remains price-sensitive, demand for energy-efficient and smart systems is increasing in building services and industrial applications. Arumugam said govt support was essential for R&D, tech upgradation and export promotion. India could learn from support extended by China and South Korea to build globally competitive pump industries.Arun Ranganathan of Suguna Industries said the global pump market offered considerable opportunities, particularly in the Middle East and Africa. The market could be even larger when specialised applications and related equipment were taken into account, he said. Coimbatore is comparable with Ahmedabad and Rajkot in terms of market value but leads in production volume, particularly in small-sized pumps, industry representatives said. The sector expects exports to grow by about 10% annually in coming years.The development of prototypes for specialised pump sets could help replace imports estimated at nearly `5,000 crore and create new export opportunities. The pump and motor sector has a strong MSME base and supports around three lakh direct and indirect jobs across India, including nearly 70,000 in Tamil Nadu. However, manufacturers said the cost of technology upgradation remained a major challenge for smaller units. G Krithika, VP of the Coimbatore Compressor Industries Association, said the industry had urged the government to reduce GST on pumps from 18% to 5% to improve competitiveness.She said many MSMEs were struggling to invest in modern machinery and tech due to high costs and limited access to affordable finance. A cluster-based drive could help smaller firms upgrade their capabilities, but such efforts would require govt assistance, she said.
