18.03.2015 Views

waves

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

<strong>waves</strong> | 6<br />

Sri Virender Uppal,<br />

Chairman,<br />

AEPC & IAM<br />

Madam Secretary (Textiles), Govt. of India,<br />

Ms. Zohra Chaterji ji, IAS, Vice Chairman,<br />

IAM Sri Rahul Mehta ji, Chairperson of<br />

Mewar University, Dr. Ashok Kumar Gadia,<br />

EC members of AEPC, BOG Members of IAM,<br />

DG&CEO, IAM&ATDC, Dr. Darlie Koshy,<br />

SG of AEPC, Industry stalwarts, Graduating<br />

Students and parents, faculty members<br />

and friends of the media. At the outset, I<br />

would like to express our deep gratitude<br />

for the continuous support and guidance<br />

extended by Madam Zohra Chatterji ji, IAS,<br />

Secretary (Textiles), in all our initiatives and<br />

endeavours.<br />

I am very happy that in a relatively<br />

short span of 5 academic years, the 3rd<br />

Convocation of IAM is being held with 187<br />

students receiving degrees and diplomas<br />

today. I understand that over 125 students<br />

have already taken jobs in the Apparel<br />

industry and the rest are pursuing higher<br />

studies or are following entrepreneurial<br />

ambitions.<br />

IAM is a unique institute promoted and<br />

supported by the industry, for the upgradation<br />

of the Apparel industry. AEPC is proud that<br />

its contributions in Education & Training<br />

have borne fruits whether it be NIFT, ATDC<br />

or IAM. ATDC in the vocational education<br />

space has become the largest vocational<br />

training provider for Apparel industry having<br />

trained over 125,000 candidates in just<br />

over 3 years and is set to train an additional<br />

equal number till 2017 crossing 250,000<br />

cumulatively in the 5 years period. It is also<br />

contributing nearly 55% of the MOT’s overall<br />

ambitious training targets. I understand<br />

from the DG&CEO that in the presentation<br />

made by the Secretary (Textiles) recently<br />

to the Hon’ble Prime Minister, ATDC was<br />

mentioned and its work in skill development<br />

appreciated. We are very thankful to you<br />

for the support being extended by MOT to<br />

AEPC’s education / training initiatives and to<br />

both the Institutes especially to ATDC.<br />

IAM is focused in charting a new path in<br />

higher education with focus on ‘management’<br />

and ‘business’ unlike other fashion institutes.<br />

The students pursuing different career<br />

oriented professional courses in IAM have the<br />

opportunity to be part of various AEPC Fairs<br />

and Exhibitions and also to choose overseas<br />

exposure through ‘Summer workshops’ etc.<br />

I am sure our students will do very well in<br />

the industry and put up performances that<br />

will set new standards in the coming years.<br />

This year, to encourage the students an IAM<br />

Graduate Show “Stylista 2014” at the IIGF is<br />

being introduced so that students get more<br />

opportunities to show their talent to the right<br />

target groups.<br />

Apparel Industry is passing through new<br />

challenges though has entered a resurgent<br />

phase and there is need to increase<br />

productivity and efficiency as wages are<br />

rising while the productivity and efficiency<br />

not keeping pace. The efforts to introduce<br />

Lean Management, Industrial Engineering<br />

and such other business improvement<br />

practices have now become the need of the<br />

hour. I have asked both IAM and ATDC to<br />

take upgradation programs and courses for<br />

the working executives as well. ATDC in<br />

its initiatives has catalyzed recently a new<br />

Apparel Cluster in Gurgaon to take up Lean<br />

Management initiative under an MOU signed<br />

with NPC. There are many opportunities<br />

which will be emerging for the passing out<br />

students of IAM. High level skills are being<br />

sought by the industry and by training high<br />

caliber students, ATDC & IAM can extend<br />

very important service for the industry. I find<br />

that a large number of students from IAM<br />

are of course joining the export sector while<br />

there is the equal interest in joining design<br />

houses, luxury brands, retail etc. With the<br />

buoyancy in Indian apparel exports and<br />

the convergence of exports and retail, the<br />

students with right skills and aptitude can<br />

certainly do very well in fashion industry.<br />

The new programme being launched “MBA<br />

in Fashion Business” by IAM will address<br />

the critical gaps to train a new generation of<br />

managers.<br />

AEPC has a wonderful facility in the form<br />

of Apparel House in the heart of Gurgaon<br />

and it is our endeavor that IAM which is<br />

offering through its MDC Design services<br />

and the IAM with its faculty and students<br />

providing research support actually became<br />

part of the export promotion efforts. Some<br />

of the faculty and students can assist in

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!