Spinning a textile career

A career in the textile industry is colourful and vast. Students aspiring a career in the textile industry can find a place in sectors like spinning, weaving, knitting, garment manufacturing, fashion designing, etc. From hard core technicians, management leaders to creative heads, everyone has a place writes Sudha Swaminathan.

Come what may, the food and clothing industries will survive, according to management stalwarts. One may find it more true in the current days of downsizing and unemployment. The textile industry is one of the oldest industry in the manufacturing industry, having a significant presence in the Indian economy and is also the mainstay of our exports. It contributes to about three per cent to the gross domestic product; about 14 per cent to the total industrial product; 21per cent percent of the work force; about 27 per cent of the gross export earnings; about eight per cent of the total excise revenue and about 7-8 per cent of the gross import bill.

Number matters

Textile education has undergone a metamorphic change like the industry itself. Over the years, owing to increasing demand for skilled manpower in the industry, the number of institutions offering textile courses have increased. During the yesteryears, Anna University and PSG College of Technology in Tamil Nadu were the destinations for students aspiring a textile career. Today, there is a mushroom growth and more than 30 institutions offer textile related courses in the country excluding seven self-financing colleges in Tamil Nadu.

Focus

As the industry is exposed to too many challenges, the institutions are also under pressure to cope with the emerging situations by re-doing their curriculum. Weaving, processing and garmenting are the fast growing sectors, which open promising opportunities for students. With the garment industry touted as the engine of growth of the Indian textile industry, the institutions are also gearing up to meet the soaring demands. Courses like Apparel and Fashion Technology, Knitting Technology are gaining prominence among the student community. Colleges offer B.Tech in Textile Technology, M.Tech in Textile Technology, Diploma in Textile Technology and Fashion Technology. The highly technology-centric programme is having an influx of management subjects. With professionalism creeping into the industry, the need to develop managerial and leadership skills has also emanated.

Management oriented papers like engineering economics, industry management, textile industry and mill management, textile marketing etc are included in the curriculum. With a special focus on developing the managerial skills among the textile professionals, the ministry of textiles has started the Vallabai Patel Institute of Textile Management at Coimbatore. The institute will offer short term certificate courses, to start with. The full time PG in business administration will be offered once the infrastructure facilities is established. Apparel Export Promotion Council and South India Textile Research Association jointly organise three months course in Knitwear Manufacturing Techniques and Management.

Tie-up

The industry-institution bond is very strong in this sector. Besides, helping the students to undergo practical training in the industry, it also helps to establish speciality labs at the institutions for mutual benefit. A fine example is the PSG-Premier Textile Test Centre and PSG-Lectra Apparel CAD centre at the PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore.

A number of sponsored projects are undertaken by the institutions to develop new technology or to upgrade the existing technology. The facilities created for those purpose by the sponsoring agents - in most cases the ministry of textiles - helps students to gain experience and knowledge of the new areas. In order to provide international exposure to the students, MOUs are inked with foreign universities for exchange of faculties. Students can find placements at the shop floor level to junior and middle level management positions. Students can also make inroads into machinery development and software development for the textile industry. Opportunities exist galore for the students at the research associations, private consulting agencies, verification and certification companies. Some of the leading textile houses like Arvind Mills, Grasim Industries, Raymonds, LMW, etc recruit students from time to time.

Institutions @ Tamil Nadu

K S Rangasamy College of Technology, Tiruchengode PSG College of Technology Coimbatore Kumaraguru College of Tech.Coimbatore; Bannari Amman Institute of Tech; Jaya Engineering College; Mahendra College of Engineering; SSM College of Engineering; Sona College of Technology; NIFT-TEA Fashion Institute.