The Hindu Business Line : AEPC in revamp mode — Offices to be made resource centres

Also on the cards is a total revamp of the organisation, he said. These initiatives are part of the effort to transform AEPC into a professionally-run export promotion body, Mr Sakthivel added.

The Apparel International Mart at Gurgaon, which is being set up by AEPC, will be ready by April this year, he said.

This facility is intended to serve as a one-stop destination for all apparel buyers visiting the country. The mart will make it easier for international buyers to interact with leading Indian apparel exporters under one roof, Mr Sakthivel explained.

Besides permanent showrooms for 250 exporters, the Apparel International Mart will also have a 50,000 square feet exhibition area and other business facilities, he added.

AEPC also plans to hold `mega shows' - featuring Indian apparel - in New York and Spain, said Mr Sakthivel.

These events will give around 60 apparel exporters from India an opportunity to showcase their work before leading garment buyers from across the world, he explained.

Similar shows held last year had evoked a good response, he added.

In an attempt to increase the availability of trained manpower for the apparel industry, AEPC is adding to its network of apparel training and design centres across the country. While the training centres in Gurgaon, Noida, Tirupur and Thiruvananthapuram are already functioning, the training centres in Ludhiana and Mumbai will be opened by the end of February, said Mr Sakthivel.

Over the next few months, the organisation will also set up apparel training and design centres in Surat, Kanpur and Bhubaneshwar, he added.

The organisation is also exploring the possibility of setting up apparel training and design centres in Kochi and Kannur in Kerala, said Mr Sakthivel.

In addition to this, AEPC's existing apparel and training design centres in New Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai will be strengthened, he added.

These training centres will offer a range of courses developed for the apparel industry.

Besides one-year courses, six-month courses and three-month courses, the apparel training and design centres will also create tailor-made courses based on the requirements of specific apparel units or companies, Mr Sakthivel said.

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