Region’s Rs. 3,000-cr apparel export potential cited
Dr. Kavuru Sambasiva Rao, Minister for Textiles, recently inaugurated the AEPC-ATDC SMART Bhawan, the fourth permanent campus building in NCR, and the new-concept Knitwear Specialty Centre at Faridabad in Haryana.
Addressing the function, the Minister observed: “The ATDC facilities created at Faridabad for short-term and long-term training programmes and setting up of the ATDC Knitwear Specialty Training Centre and the Textile Testing Lab right in the heart of the Faridabad industrial hub are a very timely and significant step which will go a long way in improving the quality of training programmes along with helping this robust cluster in future strategies and growth”.
Dr. Rao showed his keen interest in the latest sewing technologies for woven and knit training programmes on display at the centre, and appreciated the efforts of the Apparel Training & Design Centre for playing a key role in the development of this sector. Acknowledging the presence of domestic and export apparel manufacturing clusters in Faridabad, notching up around Rs. 3,000-crore exports, he emphasized the need for product diversification and skill development in the sector which at present lacks supply of skilled hands.
The SMART Bhawan situated amid a cluster of apparel export units in Faridabad, which alone boasts of a Rs. 3,000 crores worth apparel export potential, has over 50 apparel export units and 30 fabric processing units employing over 60,000 people in the cluster. The Faridabad cluster has its prominent role in the apparel industry growth in north India.
In his keynote address, Dr. A. Sakthivel, Chairman, AEPC, ATDC and IAM, said: “I am happy to point out that at the AEPC-ATDC SMART Bhawan, India’s first Knitwear Specialty Training Centre, and the first ATDC Textile Testing Lab in the NCR are being launched, and this will serve the youth by giving them access to newly-approved NCVT curricula and state-of-the-art training infrastructure while extending services to the nearby apparel industry cluster.”
Following the inauguration of the Centre, the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) approved course curricula for knitwear course, trainers’ manual and trainers’ handbook was released by Ms. Zohra Chatterji, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles.
She observed: “India’s knitwear export market is growing rapidly as knitwear production constitutes about 45 per cent of the total apparel export volume. With around 5,000 knitwear factories already set up in India and many more foraying into knitwear production, a growing number of skilled hands will be required. In this regard, ATDC has taken timely steps to launch NCVT-approved knitwear courses, trainers’ manual and Trainees’ handbook which will set a new direction and help apparel exporters with industry-ready workforce.”
Dr. Darlie Koshy, DG & CEO, ATDC & IAM, said: “The recent approval by NCVT of 29 courses for garment/fashion sectors and aligning over 65 centres with the NCVT system and the approval of ATDC’s 30 centres across the country as SKPs by AICTE augur well for the next stage of growth of ATDC not only in implementing the ISDS with more quality orientation but also in laying emphasis on the long-term courses for better employment potential of candidates.
The Centre, designed to be India’s first-ever ‘Knitwear Specialty Training Centre and Textile Testing Lab’, has been established in accordance with the direction laid under the Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS) of the Textile Ministry which has mandated ATDC to train 2,50,000 candidates by 2017 through 250 centres pan-India, with the aim of creating a sound eco-system for the labor-intensive apparel sector which is now advancing in high-speed manufacturing, digital merchandising, designing and pattern-engineering, etc.
The investment in infrastructure for skill development has strengthened the apparel manufacturing sector with the talent pool which is now considered the second highest employment generator in the country.