Fashion tech park coming to Amritsar

After signing deals with firms in Ludhiana, the Fashion Technology Park, Mohali, is setting up shop in Amritsar to give impetus to the textile industry and rural artisans.

Amritsar has a textile tradition, which was adversely affected by terrorism and the apathy of the Punjab government.

With the establishment of the Fashion Technology Park at Mohali and with the initiatives taken by the organisation, the textile units of the city are expected to revive, because the proposed park will not only provide them with the latest technical know-how but also showcase their products in India as well as abroad.

Talking to Business Standard, textile consultant J N Vohra said: "In the last quarter of 2005-06, China's textile export stood at 9 per cent of the world's textile export, while India's was 13 per cent. Moreover, the 10 per cent cap on Chinese imports will continue till 2008, so there is immense potential for Indian entrepreneurs, especially those in Punjab, to take the opportunities, which is a hub for the textile sector, particularly Ludhiana and Amritsar."

Vohra said the investment of Rs 5,122 crore in technological modernisation in the past three years in Punjab showed entrepreneurs were realising the potential.

Out of this grant, Rs 1,736 crore has been sanctioned and a subsidy of Rs 1,238 crore has been disbursed under the technological upgrade scheme. "But still, a lot needs to be done to boost the sector," Vohra said.

Vohra expressed concern over the lack of adequate infrastructure, weak marketing networks, poor financing, etc. "The time has come for the industry to have a professional and collaborative approach to face the global challenges, post-WTO, and for the growth of the industry," Vohra said.

Business School of Fashion (nucleus of the Fashion Technology Park) CEO Pikender Pal Singh said, "The project has the potential of engineering a low-cost economic revolution in India and abroad, complementing the entrepreneurial skills of the region."

"Our main endeavour is to provide linkage among various stakeholders in Punjab and technical know-how to enhance skills so that artisans can compete in the global market. We have registered 1,500 artisans in Punjab and want to add 3,000 more this year," Singh said.