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<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