More than 50,000 engineering units function in and around Coimbatore city. What began as a focused centre for the manufacture of textile motors in the early 1900s has today become a multi – disciplinary entity that is capable of catering to voluminous demands in the international market.

Tooling Divisions were incepted primarily as captive units for manufacturing houses and have become a major engineering activity in the region today. With time, many tooling divisions became profit centres of their own, owing to the consistent investment in technology. Today several corporate houses offer precision tooling services to global industries.

The light engineering industry in the Coimbatore region also specializes in offering customized engineering solutions for diverse requirements.

Common interests of the industry are represented by common forums like the Southern India Engineering Manufacturers' Association (SIEMA ) and The Coimbatore District Small Industries Association (CODISSIA)