AEPC launches multi-varsity for apparel industry

The Apparel Export Promotion Council has launched the Institute of Apparel Management (IAM) as India's first Multi-Varsity for the apparel industry.

An AEPC statement said Indian apparel exports have crossed US$ 10.13 billion in 2008-09 and the industry's ambition is to reach US$ 25 billion by 2015.

The requirement for "industry ready professionals", especially for small and medium enterprises among the garment exporters, are not being currently met.

Junior Merchandisers and Marketers, Design Managers, Export Managers, Brand Managers and Supervisory personnel are all in short supply, especially at an affordable cost to the garment exporters / retailers, the statement said.

The IAM, which was soft-launched in 2007, is being transformed under a new thrust as a Multi-Varsity with two campuses at Gurgaon near Delhi and and Sanpada, Navi Mumbai.

The international academic collaborators include Edexcel UK, Wolverhampton University UK, RMIT University, Australia, George Brown College, Canada, and Ontario College of Design, Canada.

Students will have options to pursue different courses leading to degrees/diplomas from the international partners. Most of the courses will be offered through IAM with only bridge programmes or last year/semeser to be completed overseas, the release said.

IAM has four academic tracks --- Fashion & Lifestyle Design, Apparel Production Technology, Supply Chain Merchandising & Management and Brant & Retail.

Under these four tracks, IAM will offer two undergraduate programmes and two post-graduate programmes from the new academic session 209.

The release said both the IAM campuses would have state-of-the-art facilities. The faculty would include experts from the National Institute of Fashion Technology and the National Institute of Design as well as from the industry.

It said the 8000 exporters who are members of AEPC will be closely interacting with the IAM students for internships and placements.

"In a country where the Textile and Apparel sector accounts for 14% of the total industrial production and 48% of the total "textile" export basket, there is a natural urgency for mobilising resources as observed by the government, to create a massive education and training infrastructure in the country, to take on the growing and emergent challenges that have arisen due to rapid technological development," AEPC chairman Rakesh Vaid said.

"Initiatives of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) are in response to an envisioned requirement for one million merchandisers, marketing and design professionals, strategic design managers, product development experts, production managers and technologists with more in-depth knowledge and skills and IAM is poised to fill this "National Talent Deficit" for competent professionals in the textile, fashion and lifestyle industry," Dr Darlie Koshy, CEO, IAM, added.

NNN