units are engaged in the production of Starch and Sago in Namakkal District. Around 800 jaggery manufacturing units were located around ParamathiVelur. Lorry body-building Namakkal district is noted for truck and lorry external body building industry which dates back to 1956. Nationwide Namakkal is known for body building for truck, trailer, tanker and rig unit. Throughout India, Tiruchengode is known for its body building industry for trucks, trailers, tankers, and rig units. Finished trucks and rig units are exported to foreign countries from Namakkal. Nearly 25,000 people are employed, both directly and indirectly, in truck body building activity and about 300 units in Namakkal and 100 units in Tiruchengode are engaged in this activity. Ashok Leyland's Driver Training Institute in Namakkal (right in the trucking heartland of Tamil Nadu) was the first of its kind and has served as a beacon to lead the way in the training of drivers. Easily accessible from Erode, Salem and Trichy, and spread over 25 acres, the campus includes a driving range with every conceivable road configuration. A spacious building accommodates large classrooms, a library, a model room, a laboratory and a cafeteria with an open-air theatre attached. The roads come with electronic signals, signs, markings and streetlights for night driving – everything, in fact, that drivers will encounter on the highways. Poultry Poultry plays an important role in the economy of Namakkal which has an astounding number of 29.3 million fowls and 32.4 million eggs produced every day, accounting for a bulk of supply of poultry products to neighbouring industries. Namakkal produces about 65% of the total egg output of Tamil Nadu. About 1,500 Poultry/Cattle Feed manufacturing units are also in existence. Mostly every poultry unit has put up their own feed manufacturing unit. Others Nearly 176 Sago factories are located in and around the Rasipuram Taluk. Bore-wells and textile are the main business in Tiruchengode. Nearly 37 spinning mills and more than 10,000 powerlooms are functioning in Tiruchengode. One sugar mill and one paper mill were functioning under Private Sector. Education Veterinary College and Research Institute, Namakkal (a constituent unit of Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University) is located in Mohanur Taluk. It also has an Animal Feed Analysis and Quality Assurance Laboratory (AFAQAL). All the arts and science colleges in the district are affiliated to Periyar University, Salem. A new government medical college had constructed and opened. Culture and tourism