Govt to set up 10 more apparel parks

The government has drawn up plans to set up ten more apparel parks in state. These ten apparel parks will be in addition to the two being set up in Ahmedabad and Surat.

The state government will soon finalise the cities and towns where these apparel parks will be set up.

Based on policy recommendations made by KSA Technopak, a joint venture with Krut Salmon Associates (KSA), a management consulting firm specialising in textile, consumer goods and retail sectors, the state government aims to frame a policy to add value to the textile chain in Gujarat.

Earlier, the government had assigned KSA Technopak to conduct a study on the textile and apparel industry of the state and suggest policy recommendations for the development of the sector in the post-quota regime of the WTO.

The agency had made a detailed presentation to the government. Based on the presentation, "A plan for textile and apparel industry, resurgence in Gujarat', the state government decided to set up over 10 apparel parks and frame a policy for the textile sector before dismantling of the quota regime.

"The government has started taking pro-active measures based on the recommendations of KSA Technopak. The Ambika Mills compound has already been handed over to Gujarat Infrastructure Development Corporation for development of an apparel park. The study suggested that the apparel industry should be treated as the growth engine for overall development of the textile sector. After the post-quota regime of the WTO, India, specially Gujarat, will dominate the world textile market, only next to China," said a senior official of the state government.

Gujarat accounts for over 22 per cent of the textile exports from the country, but the apparel sector constitutes less than 10 per cent of exports from Gujarat.

According to the study, to develop the apparel sector in the state, there is a need of trained and skilled manpower at the grass roots level and the state government has decided to set up training institutes in association with the central government and the private sector.

The Apparel Promotion Council of the government of India has agreed to set up a training institute at the Surat Apparel Park.

A Bangalore-based private institute is in talks with the state government to set up training centres in Ahmedabad and Surat.

The government has also decided to provide employment to the rural sector through providing training and has identified over 40 villages to train people. District collectors will co-ordinate for the training programmes. After training, the government will provide employment to the people through the Apparel Parks in the form of job work.

Other recommendations in the study include development of infrastructure.