Darlie Koshy to head AEPC's skill development initiative

New Delhi, Oct 27 (UNI) Mr Darlie Koshy today joined the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) and will be responsible for its educational and skill development programme.

Mr Koshy was earlier director of the Ahmedabad-based National Institute of Design. He will now head the AEPC's Institute of Apparel Management and act as director general of the Apparel Training and Design Centre for a term of five years.

"Mr Koshy brings with him over 30 years of experience," said AEPC's secretary general Vimal Kirti Singh. "I am sure his expertise will bring qualitative improvement in the council's efforts to upgrade the skills of many aspiring professionals." Mr Koshy began his career in the handloom and textiles sector and was a founding member of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).

"I want to build a dynamic team for developing a world-class educational organisation to nurture India's talent for this growing sector," said Mr Koshy. "I am truly delighted that I have now got an opportunity to take up a challenging assignment in the sector which I love the most -- textiles, apparels, fashion and lifestyle." Mr Koshy holds a Ph.D in management from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) here and an MBA from the University of Science and Technology in Kochi with specialisations in international trade and marketing research.

The Institute of Apparel Management trains managerial cadre professionals in apparel export, fashion and retail sectors by conducting post-graduate programmes ranging from one year to 18 months.

The Apparel Training and Design Centre has trained over 38,000 shop floor workers in 20 states and union territories across the country since its inception in 1991.

The AEPC has more than 8,000 apparel exporters as its members who contribute three per cent of the world trade in clothing and eight per cent of India's total exports. Readymade garments worth 9.69 billion dollars were exported from India to over 100 countries in 2007-08.

UNI BBS SG AS1651