Dressing up Surat in style

BUSINESSWOMEN OF GUJARAT/ Vandana Bhattacharya

She likes to believe that she has contributed to fashion consciousness in Surat. For Vandana Bhattacharya spotting business opportunity in Surat was not difficult. It had to be fashion, she says.

A topper throughout, Vandana could have got it anywhere. But fashion seemed to her a challenging and untapped business opportunity in Surat.

"When we shifted to Surat in 1990, the first thing that struck me was the lack of fashion consciousness here. Interestingly, though Surat was the biggest centre of textiles, the fashion industry here was almost non-existant. This is what made me think of getting into the field of fashion designing," says Vandana.

Vandana, who has done a course in fashion designing from Pune, also relates an anecdote in this regard.

"I was staying with my sister-in-law in Pune for a while. She had joined a fashion designing course and I also joined it. I finished the course before she did, which actually made me believe that I was good at fashion designing," she says.

After her return, Vandana started the National Institute of Professional Courses (NIPC) in Surat where students are trained in fashion designing.

However, it was not a smooth sailing for her. Vandana says people in Surat didn't take to her initiative and it was difficult changing mindsets. Vandana, however, knows her business and to endorse her institute called big designers to her centre.

"Things were tough when we started NIPC. People looked down upon fashion designing saying that the work was similar to that of a tailor. Things, however, changed when I invited prominent fashion designer Ritu Beri to NIPC's first convocation. It was then that people started accepting fashion designing as a career option," she says, adding that after the first year, her institute saw a significant rise in the number of students enrolling for the course.

Talking about her work, Vandana says that practical exposure is important in the fashion industry.

"We try our best to give exposure to the students by inviting famous fashion designers to the institute, organising workshops and participating in exhibitions. I am glad that many students of NIPC have become good fashion designers," a visibly proud Vandana says.

Vandana is also in a mood to expand. She says she has gauged the industry's future prospects and prefers to be in the thick of things. she has just bought two plots in the apparel park at Sachin.

"The future of the textile industry is apparels. There is an apparel park coming up at Sachin. We have acquired two plots in the apparel park - one would house a design house, while a small manufacturing unit would be set up on the second plot," she says.

Vandana also gives credit to her husband, Ajoy, for her success. "Ajoy has been a support throughout and is a very good critic. His constructive criticism has helped me improve my work," she says.

Any future plans? "I will continue working for another 10 years. After that I will sit back and enjoy my family life. I don't want to miss any of it," she says, adding that she will then pursue her interest in philosophy.