Opportunities in apparel sector

The garment industry is one of the major foreign exchange earners for the country for over 4 decades. With Foreign Exchange contribution of nearly USD 20 billion, the industry unit value realisation is approximately US$ 12.

Up to the 1990s to generate 1crore rupees turnover about 100 people were needed.

With advanced management techniques and technology today the ratio for the revenue generated to employment is 1:5 (This figure is based on the production per day). Even then this industry is one of the highest employers of human resources in the country.

Today the apparel export industry strictly observes the various international standards and maintains some of the best ethics and corporate governance standards comparable to any MNC. Its infrastructure facilities are humungous which are as complex as any large scale manufacturing facility.

Human relations audit, environmental pollution audit, energy audit, social audit in addition to material and finished product audits and certification are mandatory in the Indian apparel manufacturing industry. These audits are part of the standard operating procedures (SOP) of every garment company big or small.

To follow the SOPs and maintain the international standards, the quality of new recruits at every level has increased phenomenally.

Qualification/ Certifictions 

The educational qualifications required to join the industry start with a minimum of SSLC and go up to degree. The industry prefers trained and certified personnel.

The Apparel Training and  Design Centre (ATDC), sponsored by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India conducts various vocational training courses for careers in apparel, fashion and textiles.

Diploma courses include Apparel manufacturing technology, Fashion design technology, Textile design technology, Apparel quality assurance and compliance and Apparel pattern making and CAD. The eligibility for these one year courses is 10+2 pass or equivalent.

Certificate courses include Apparel pattern making (basic), Apparel production supervision and quality control, Apparel manufacturing technology (knits) - foundation and advance. These are six-month courses with eligibility requirement of 10th pass.

For graduates there is six-month Apparel export merchandising course which enable a career as assistant merchandiser, fashion merchandiser, sourcing/ product manager.

There are various short term software application courses of two month duration such as Software application in Pattern making, apparel merchandising, fashion design and textile design.

In Karnataka ATDC centres are located in Bengaluru, Gadag, Hubli, Chikkaballapur, Kolar, Maddur, Tumkur and Ramanagar.