Mr. A.K.G. NAIR

Dear Readers,

PAF CONSULTANT is back. While the spirit is the same, the form has been changed to symbolize technical advancements in the fashion and textile industry This will give us a platform to share our faculty research with you and seek your valued comments.

One of the biggest challenges textile sector is facing today is Rupee appreciation and the slowing US economy. Sector, specifically garment exports, has been hampered badly. No doubt, garment export is the engine of growth for our textile sector; and a slump in this segment would have adverse impact on the entire value chain.

We don’t have control over growth and slow down of other economies but we can take some measures to sustain our growth and strengthen our economy. Industry can improve efficiency and focus more on high value added product which will command premium.

One thing is for sure that we can not match China in volume game because of their large capacity, relaxed labour laws and cheap power. But, certainly by creating highly skilled manpower, we can grow in terms of value if not in terms of quantity.

While government will undertake necessary measures and incentivise the sector, industry should focus on creating trained manpower for high value added products. A welcome step is Textile Ministry’s initiative ‘NATIJA’ - Neighbourhood Apparel & Textiles Training Institutes for Job Assurance. India needs 5 million trained manpower in next four years to meet the projected sectoral growth. An active participation of private sector is a must to make this initiative a success.