Sivakasi industries grew out of the economic struggles of India in the 1960s. Without government aid, the local people constructed matches, fireworks, and printing industries, which today contribute 80 percentage of India total safety matches production, 90 percentage of India total fireworks production, and 60% of India total offset printing solutions. It is one of the highest Sales/Excise/Customs Duty paying towns, and has achieved 100% employment.Child Labour was once high during the 80, but now it completely eradicated.
Making of Bomb Shells

Sivakasi may be called as "A town of three industries", namely

* Printing / Offset Printing Press
* Pyrotechnics (Fireworks) and Crackers
* Safety Matches & Colour Matchess

Sivakasi town has an astounding number of offset printing machines - the second largest number in the world, next only to Gutenberg, a city in Germany. Shri K. S. A. Arunagiri Nadar was responsible for bringing Printing in this town, and hence became known as "The Founder of Printing" in Sivakasi.The earliest printing press of the town Coronation Litho works- printers of diaries, calendars etc. is famous of the town.

Ayya Nadar and his brother Shanmuga Nadar founded the match industry and several colleges. Of notable importance are Srinivas Fine Arts - the designers and manufacturers of Nightingale stationeries and Thilakaraj Textiles, founded in 1969, a leading reputed Textile Showroom.

Apart from printing and fireworks, Granite(yellow) quarrying takes place in a small level in Thiruthangal, near Sivakasi. There has been a number of protests by the residents against quarry owners as quarrys lie in close proximity to residential areas.