CaraVanOtterloo at 10:20, 25 March 2026

2026-03-25T10:20:39Z

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{{Short description|Type of wet grinder from Tamil Nadu, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox geographical indication
| name = Coimbatore Wet Grinder
| image = Wet grinder.JPG
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Coimbatore Wet Grinder
| description = [[Wet grinder (food)|wet grinder]]s manufactured in [[Coimbatore]]
| type = Manufactured
| area = [[Coimbatore]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
| country = [[India]]
| registered = 2005–06
| material = [[granite]], [[steel]], [[electric motor]]
| official website =
}}
'''Coimbatore Wet Grinder''' refers to [[Wet grinder (food)|wet grinder]]s manufactured in [[Coimbatore]], [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name="Grinder">{{cite web|url=http://coimbatore.nic.in/industry.html|title=Industry of Coimbatore|publisher=Coimbatore Corporation|access-date=28 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150730121603/http://coimbatore.nic.in/industry.html|archive-date=30 July 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> It has been recognized as a [[Geographical indication]] by the [[Government of India]] in 2005–06.<ref name="GI">{{cite web|url=http://ipindia.nic.in/girindia/ |title=Geographical indication |publisher=Government of India |access-date=28 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826183844/http://ipindia.nic.in/girindia/ |archive-date=26 August 2013 }}</ref> {{As of|2015}}, Coimbatore has more than 700 [[Wet grinder (food)|wet grinder]] manufacturers with a monthly output 75,000 units<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/03/24/stories/2005032401051700.htm|title=Wet grinder units form group to get SIDBI aid|date=24 March 2005|newspaper=[[Business Line]]|access-date=20 September 2009}}</ref> per every 100,000 produced in India.<ref name="mint">{{cite news|url=http://www.livemint.com/Industry/r8UaiAN7APhsLubxdYWgOL/Poll-code-set-to-hit-business-of-Coimbatores-wetgrinder-ma.html|title=Poll code set to hit wet grinders business|newspaper=Live Mint|date=6 August 2015}}</ref>

==Wet Grinder==
{{Main|Wet grinder (food)}}

A wet grinder is a [[food preparation]] [[kitchen appliance|appliance]] used for grinding [[food grain]]s to produce [[batter (cooking)|batter]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Krishna Dubey |title=The Indian Cuisine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U4woRbF8irsC&q=what+is+wet+grinder+cuisine|year=2010 |publisher=PHI |isbn=9788120341708|pages=29}}</ref> Batter is used extensively in [[South Indian cuisine]] for preparation of popular dishes such as [[Dosa (food)|dosa]], [[idly]], [[vada (food)|vada]], [[appam]] and [[paniyaram]].<ref>{{cite book |last= Farnworth |first= Edward R. |title= Handbook of Fermented Functional Foods |year=2003 |publisher= CRC Press |isbn= 978-0-8493-1372-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Charmaine O' Brien |title=The Penguin Food Guide to India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BGhBAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT378 |date=15 December 2013 |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |isbn=978-93-5118-575-8 |pages=378 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title=The Story of Our Food |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bk9RHRCqZOkC&pg=PA80 | author=K. T. Achaya |pages=80, 90|publisher=Universities Press| isbn=978-81-7371-293-7 |date=November 2003 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title=South Indians in Kolkata |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=swNuAAAAMAAJ| author=P. Thankappan Nair | year=2004 |publisher=Punthi Pustak |page=320 | isbn=978-81-86791-50-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Vir Sanghvi |title=Rude Food: The Collected Food Writings of Vir Sanghvi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eK1uGVxmEiUC&pg=PA110 |date=1 January 2004 |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-14-303139-0 |pages=109–110 }}</ref> It consists of [[granite]] stones which rotate inside a metal drum with the help of an [[electric motor]] and the food grains get crushed between the stone and drum.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiacurry.com/faqappliance/wetgrinder.htm|title=How to choose a Wet grinder|publisher=indiacurry.com|access-date=24 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219225822/http://www.indiacurry.com/faqappliance/wetgrinder.htm|archive-date=19 December 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==History==
P. Sabapathy developed the wet grinder in [[Coimbatore]] in 1955.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/How-a-wedding-gift-turned-into-a-freebie/articleshow/7829923.cms|title=How a wedding gift turned into a freebie|date=31 March 2011|publisher=’’[[Times of India]]’’}}</ref><ref name="report">{{cite report | title=Diagnostic study of the "wet grinder cluster" at Coimbatore | url=http://www.dcmsme.gov.in/schemes/wet_grinder_cluster.pdf | publisher=Development Commissioner, [[Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises]] | access-date=24 January 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221307/http://www.dcmsme.gov.in/schemes/wet_grinder_cluster.pdf | archive-date=3 March 2016 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Sabapathy">{{cite news|url= http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/the-magic-of-the-arc-lights/article2222569.ece|title=Magic of the arc lights|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=13 July 2011}}</ref> Sabapathy introduced the grinders to other cities such as [[Chennai]] and [[Madurai]].<ref name="Sabapathy"/> In 1963, P. B. Krishnamurthy started Lakshmi Grinders which led to the commercial popularity of wet grinders.<ref name="history">{{cite news|url= http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/namma-coimbatore/article5522897.ece|title=Namma Coimbatore|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=31 December 2013}}</ref> In 1975, R. Doraiswamy invented the tilting wet grinders.<ref name="history"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.santhagrinders.com|title=Santha Grinders|publisher=santhagrinders.com|access-date=24 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109164821/http://santhagrinders.com/|archive-date=9 January 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> L. G. Varadaraj introduced the table top wet grinders which replaced grinders which had to be placed on the ground.<ref name="history"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2709/stories/20100507270910100.htm|title=Coimbatore's engineering and textile industries are abuzz with activity, ending a period of slowdown|publisher=Frontline| access-date=24 January 2016}}</ref>

==Industry==
[[File: Wet grinder - Commercial.jpg|thumb|Earlier wet grinders]]
As the product was invented in the city, Coimbatore naturally emerged as a center for the manufacture of wet grinders. The availability of raw material in the form of granite stones, electric motor manufacturing units and the necessary heavy equipment such as [[lathe]]s, [[drilling machine|drilling]] and [[milling machine]]s used in manufacturing aided the development of the industry.<ref name="report"/>

The city contributes to about 75% of the 1 lakh total monthly output of wet grinders in India.<ref name="mint"/> The industry employs 20,000 people directly and provides indirect employment to 50,000.<ref name="report"/> In 2011, the cluster had a yearly turnover of {{INRconvert|225|c}} which grew to {{INRconvert|2800|c}} in 2015.<ref name="mint"/>

==Recent developments==
In 2007, the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]] opened a center for manufacturing raw materials for wet grinders and a research center built at a cost of {{INRconvert|28.8|m}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/05/stories/2007080559430300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027103719/http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/05/stories/2007080559430300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 October 2007|title=Common facility for wet grinders|date=5 August 2007|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=20 September 2009}}</ref> The industry grew over ten times in the last few years due to procurement of nearly 22.5 million{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} wet grinders by the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]] for free distribution to green family card holders.<ref name="mint"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/tamil-nadu-the-ultimate-freebie-state/article7046314.ece|title=Tamil Nadu, the ultimate freebie state|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date= 30 March 2015}}</ref> In 2015, the [[Government of Puducherry]] announced distribution of free wet grinders to 3.37 lakh families for which it plans to procure wet grinders at a cost of {{INRconvert|120|c}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/puducherry/over-four-years-after-it-made-a-promise-ainrc-government-launches-freebies-scheme-in-puducherry/article7577773.ece|title=Over four years after it made a promise, AINRC government launches freebies scheme in Puducherry|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date= 25 August 2015}}</ref>

Wet grinders are mainly sold through retail channels with the manufacturer distributing it through intermediaries. Since 2014, the sales through [[e-commerce]] channel has grown considerably helping in bulk sales and brand building.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/ecommerce-makes-inroads-in-coimbatore-manufacturing-activities/article7341110.ece|title=e-commerce makes inroads in Coimbatore manufacturing activities|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date= 22 June 2015}}</ref>

==Geographical Indication==
In 2005, the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]] applied for [[Geographical Indication]] for Coimbatore wet grinder.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/GI-tag-TN-trails-Karnataka-with-18-products/articleshow/6458268.cms|title= GI tag: TN trails Karnataka with 18 products|newspaper=[[Times of India]]|date=29 August 2013}}</ref> The [[Government of India]] recognized it as a [[Geographical indication]] officially since the year 2005–06.<ref name="GI"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Geographical indications in Tamil Nadu}}
{{Coimbatore}}
{{Kongu Nadu}}

[[Category:Indian inventions]]
[[Category:Coimbatore district]]
[[Category:Economy of Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Geographical indications in Tamil Nadu]]

Coimbatore Wet Grinder - Revision history

CaraVanOtterloo at 10:20, 25 March 2026