Apparel Export Promotion Council forms "INSTITUTE OF APPAREL MANAGEMENT"

Plans Tie-ups with Institutions in Europe & USA

The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) has set up India’s first Institute of Apparel Management (IAM) at Gurgaon (NCR) aimed at creating managerial cadre professionals in the apparel, textiles and fashion retail sectors. Targeted at existing and potential managers, AEPC which is sponsored by the Ministry of Textiles, plans to open such institutes in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kolkata within the next 2-3 years.

Set up under the aegis of AEPC Society for Human Resource Development, the Institute has been conceptualized to offer cutting edge education and training required for Managerial levels in the apparel industry. The Textile and Apparel sector is the largest employer and foreign exchange earner for India. The ever changing Retail, Fashion & Lifestyle habits have made this sector very competitive requiring dynamism and versatility not only in production technology but also in design, sourcing, delivery mechanism etc.

Says Vijay Agarwal, Chairman, AEPC, "There is a huge gap in the availability and requirement of personnel for apparel industry particularly in the areas of apparel management, merchandising, vendor management, and retail specific to the apparel industry. It is estimated that at Junior, Middle & Senior level there is a dearth of almost 250,000 managers in this sector."

The Indian Apparel & Textile sector is critically important to the Indian economy as it contributes more than 30% of the net export earnings of the country. It is the single largest employer with an estimated work-force of more than 6 million. India’s RMG (Ready Made Garments) exports contributing to 3% of the total global clothing trade, has witnessed an annual growth rate of 30% after removal of quotas.

The gap in availability and supply is only expected to grow as the Ministry of Textiles has kept the target of USD 10.5bn for 2007-08 for RMG exports and expects it to grow to 25bn by 2010. The domestic organized Fashion Retail sector - almost non-existent till about a decade ago - is currently worth USD 15 billion.

Under such a scenario, the setting up of an Institute like IAM becomes imperative and AEPC has taken the lead in the same. The institute is commencing programmes imparting management education to professionals of apparel industry from August 2007 at Gurgaon (NCR).

The advantages offered by IAM are close partnership of AEPC with approx 8000 apparel manufacturers / exporters in India, industry recognized & contemporary course curriculum, Industry internships in India & abroad, 100% placement assistance, a Wi-Fi enabled campus, access to a state-of-the-art Resource Centre not to mention the best faculty from India and abroad. Prominent luminaries in the field of apparel exports, domestic, retail, brand management and academicians have already announced their support by joining the advisory board of the institute.

Adds Agarwal, "The decision to set up IAM is a progression on the council having set up 20 ATDCs (Apparel Training & Design Centres) which impart training to create a skilled workforce for the sector. Presently functioning at Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Jaipur, Ludhiana, Kanpur, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Trivandrum, Tirupur, Mumbai, Kolkata, Indore and Surat etc., AEPC plans to have about 100 such ATDCs by 2009 across India."

In order to give an International exposure to its students, AIM is in talks with prominent fashion and apparel institutions in USA and Europe for tie-ups which will lead to an international exchange of faculty, students, talent and ideas.

The Institute has already structured a, "Two Years Full Time Post Graduate Programme in Apparel Management" which will commence from July 2008 and the admission process is likely to start in December 2007. In addition the IAM offers short term part time and full time courses n Apparel Marketing & Merchandising, Apparel Export Merchandising, Apparel Retail Merchandising, etc which are beginning end-Aug-07/Sep-07.

Source : Equity Bulls

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