The government is striving to give a boost to the apparel sector manufacturing in India and has developed a comprehensive plan to realize the vision of making the country self-reliant through ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’. Apparel Made-Ups & Home Furnishing Sector Skill Council (AMH SSC) is a not‐for‐profit Organization, registered under the Indian Companies Act, 1956.
AMHSSC envisions to enable a world class apparel, made-ups and home furnishing manufacturing industry with an ecosystem for skill development and enhance employability of the large number of Indian human resource. Talking to Textile Value Chain, Dr. Roopak Vashistha, CEO & DG, AMHSSC talks about skill training, job creation and employment chances.
Q1. Due to Covid-19, US & European firms are looking at India as an alternative to China. How would it create an opportunity for the apparel sector?
Ans. This is indeed a very good opportunity for India and other countries to grab the business which would get transferred from China. However, let’s all also realize that post abolition of Quota regime in 2005, the entire world has become competitive and the Export houses of India have stiff competition with various other countries which have similar capabilities in Apparel production, like Vietnam, Bangladesh etc. However, having said so, there would be tremendous opportunities for Indian Apparel industry to increase their footfall in countries which used to mainly depend on China.
Q2. What do you think, MSME focused economic packages may turn out to be beneficial for the apparel segment?
Ans. The Govt of India has very rightly increased the financial limits of MSME sector, thereby, allowing more apparel industries to be included in this segment. This would enable the concerned Apparel manufacturers to have the benefits which the MSME sector companies enjoy, like payment within 45 days and many other benefits which the Govt has announced for the sector. These companies would now become eligible for various kinds of loan, which they were not eligible for earlier.
Q3. What should be the road-map for creating India into a very strong apparel hub as well as “Aatm Nirbhar Bharat”?
Ans. India, in any case, used to make apparel for the various international brands, especially the T Shirts being produced in Tirupur, Tamilnadu. We now need to increase the capacity in our existing facilities. By increasing capacity, we mean increasing more machines and skilled manpower so as to enable the organisations produce more. Instead of importing the PPE kits and masks for fighting Covid-19, we have already started producing these items nationally, thus, becoming ‘Atmanirbhar’.
Q4. What is the training and assessment process of AMHSSC after the skilling program?
Ans. AMH SSC works under NSDC/MSDE and is authorized as a certification body to assess and certify the skilled manpower in Apparel sector. Till date we have certified approx 12 lac persons in this sector. Under PMKVY, whatever trainings happened, more than 21% of the successful students got placed in Apparel sector. This holds true in Employment, as well as Self-employment segments.
Q5. Can you elaborate, which type of job will be created in the apparel segment due to emerging technology and innovation?
Ans. First of all in the Apparel industry not much innovations have come, especially in stitching processes, except for improvisation in the stitching machines. This means that for many years to come, the stitching would predominantly be done by human hands and, as such, we may require human capital for it. In the increased business scenario, we may require more Sewing Machine Operators, Packers, Checkers, Merchandisers, Fashion Designers in great number.
Q6. How has recruitment policies changed with new skills coming up in demand?
Ans. Slowly, the various authorities are including the ‘SSC certified candidates’ in their Recruitment Policies. The actual weightage of SSC certification will be felt once all the Recruitment Policies start including SSC certification as mandatory in their respective Recruitment Policies.
Q7. Any information you would like to share with our readers?
Ans. AMH SSC has come forward to help the various state governments where more migrant workers have returned by offering short term trainings of these workers and certifying them, thus, enabling them to start their own shops or join Organised sector as worker. We are also trying to form Self Help Groups (SHG) of these workers and connecting them with the Apparel manufacturers or the State Govt organisations for Job work.
