It is no secret that India’s relations with Israel are very close today. But did you know that the Israeli Police force has a significant connection with India’s southern state Kerala? The state not only hosts one of India’s major centers of the Jewish population in Kochi, but it has also been stitching uniforms for the Israeli Police for the last eight years.
An apparel-making company, Maryan Apparel Private Limited, in Kerala’s Kannur stitches around one lakh units of uniforms for the Israeli Police, especially their shirts, per year since 2015.
According to Thomas Olickal, Managing Director (MD), Maryan Apparel, the company also makes around 50,000 shirts and jackets for the Israeli Jail Police
“In a year we make up to one lakh shirts for Israeli policemen. We also make shirts and jackets for the Israeli Jail Police. About 30,000 to 50,000 shirts and jackets are sent for the jail police in a year,” he said.
Maryan Apparel has its headquarters in Mumbai, but the company’s uniform-making unit has been functioning in Kannur since 2008. There are about 1,500 employees involved in the stitching and making of these uniforms according to Thomas.
He told CNN News18 that last week after the war broke out, they were informed by Israel that an extra supply of uniforms would be needed.
Elaborating on the quality of the material used for the uniforms, Thomas said the fabric is imported from the US. “It is a 100 percent polyester with some specifications,” he said.
Apart from the police of Israel the company also makes uniforms for the police in Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines.
On how the company started this unit in Kannur, Thomas said it was CPI(M)’s P Jayarajan, and CM Pinarayi Vijayan, who was the then-party state secretary, asked the company if it could start a unit in Kannur.
“After the closure of Dinesh Beedi company in Kannur there were issues of unemployment here and we were asked about the possibility of a unit,” he said.
Thomas said that all the staffers who are now working with the company have been trained by them.