The Skill Training Story!

Samir Alam explores the skill training scene for textile and apparel workers.

In December, the Textile Labour Association celebrated 100 years of its existence in a quiet and understated manner in Ahmedabad. The Association was founded on December 4, 1917, under the guidance of Motaben Anasuya Sarabhai in a pioneering effort to organise Indian textile labourers under one banner. The movement was based on the mentorship of Mahatma Gandhi who advocated for the self-sufficiency of the Indian working class and supported the efforts of Motaben. The labour organisation faced an uphill task in its early era as it went against most norms of the time, but eventually succeeded in representing the interests of workers across the textile industry.

Now, the Indian textile industry is a key contributor to India’s national wealth, with a 14 percent contribution to industrial production and a four percent contribution to the Gross Domestic Product. It employs over 45 million people directly and nearly 25 million people indirectly, making it the largest source for employment in the nation. The strength of the industry's workforce is essential, given the labour intensive tasks entailed. Their efforts account for the Indian textile industry contributing to over 15 percent of total exports and growing the current USD 150 billion industry to USD 250 billion in the next five years. This ambitious 8.7 percent Compound Annual Growth Rate is based on the hopes of the 2017 Central government policy which hopes to push textile exports to USD 300 billion by 2025. None of this would be possible if the Indian textile industry’s labour force isn’t grown stronger by another 35 million, and more importantly, if they are not upgraded in their skills and training. With adequate investment in the contributions of the Indian textile worker, there is little need to wonder if the Textile Labour Association will be celebrating 200 years of existence in a much grander fashion.

CURRENT SCENARIO