First multi-varsity for apparel industry

New Horizons

India’s first multi-varsity for the apparel industry, the Institute of Apparel Management (IAM), has just commenced academic operations in Navi Mumbai under the aegis of the Apparel Export Promotion Council's ambitious expansion plans for education and training.

This is the first time that globally benchmarked programmes with multiple options for  students to pursue different pathways leading to degrees/ diplomas from international partners are being offered under one roof. An enterprise of the Union Ministry of Textiles, AEPC has  set up Apparel Training and Design Centres all over India.

“The IAM will take over the ATDC premises as well after ATDC relocates to new premises. IAM will also be rolled out to Bangalore and Chennai among other cities,” said Rakesh Vaid, Chairman, AEPC.

“In a country where the textile and apparel sector accounts for 14 per cent of the total industrial production and 48 per cent of the total textile export basket, there is a natural urgency for mobilising resources 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,” said Vaid.

Dr Koshy, former director  of NID, Ahmedabad, said with the concept of a multi-varsity offering multi-disciplinary courses under one roof, students would get to pursue globally benchmarked UG/PG degrees from the best institutes in the  UK, Canada and Australia. The international academic collaborators include Edexcel UK, Wolverhampton University UK, RMIT University Australia, George Brown College Canada, and Ontario College of Design, Canada.  

India’s apparel exports crossed US$10.13 billion in 2008-09 and the industry’s ambition is to reach US$25 billion by 2015. Currently, there is a shortfall in requirement for industry-ready professionals, especially for small and medium enterprises among garment exporters. Junior merchandisers and marketers, design managers, export managers, brand managers and supervisory staff are in short supply.

IAM has four academic tracks covering the critical nodes of the apparel value chain --  Fashion & Lifestyle Design, Apparel Production Technology, Supply Chain Merchandising & Management, and Brand & Retail. Under these tracks, IAM will offer 2 UG programmes and 2 PG programmes from 2009-10. The 8,000 plus exporters, who are members of AEPC, will interact with IAM students for internships and placements.

IAM will thus offer placement to students as designers, merchandisers, retail managers, fashion entrepreneurs, product development executives with the support of AEPC and  its sister organisation, the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI).