Career in the Apparel Industry

Small manufacturing companies that sell garments primarily to the local market are scattered in all over India. Medium and large size firms produces bulk quantity for export market as well as domestic market are located only in few zones, like in North India (Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Ludhiana), South India (Chennai, Tirupur and Bangalore), East Zone (Kolkata) and west zone (Mumbai and Ahmadabad). In recent years the apparel industry is growing in other parts of India like Rajasthan, Hardwar and Patna etc. In manufacturing maximum no. of employees are worker.

Like most industries, apparel industry employs staffs for maintenance, IT, Human resources, warehouse, sales etc. It employs many staffs unique to garment manufacturing, such as fashion designers, merchandisers, pattern makers, fabric cutter, sewing machine operator, quality assurance, washing and pressing garments.

In the apparel industry, one has a variety of options to choose as the career. It is true that compared to other industries like IT, Automobiles the average pay for the low-level workers is less. But highly paid jobs are also available in the apparel industry. To name few profiles those are most attractive and well paid are fashion designing, sourcing and marketing, apparel buyer, apparel production, production planning, Industrial engineer, retailing, merchandising, Testing Lab experts, quality control, apparel technician, academic in fashion institutes, apparel consultants etc.

Job markets in the apparel industry

As mentioned above according to educational qualification one can choose one of the following career options. Many institutes ensure campus placement for their final year student. Otherwise, one can approach directly to the companies for a job. 

Like other industries, a fresh candidate may face difficulties to get his/her first job but once he/she is placed there is lot of opportunities for the next jobs.

1. Apparel production house (export houses)
2. Buying house
3. Retail
4. IT company (ERP, CAD)
5. Design house
6. Textile mills
7. Educational Institutes
8. Government jobs
9. Starting own business 
10. Overseas jobs on above areas

Education and Training Requirement

Various levels of jobs are there in an apparel production company, from worker level to CEO. According to the education level and professional training undergone one can choose best possible career path. Certificate courses are available for fresh as well as industry experienced candidates. To improve skill and on job performance level professional courses are very helpful. One can pursue graduation or master degree courses. There is a variety of courses for students like to choose fashion as a career path. For courses and institute see fashion institutes.

Growth possibilities

As per market survey, we are expecting multi-fold growth of the domestic market both in retail and production. With the Indian economic growth, cloth consumption per consumer will go up. As a result demand for cloths will rise automatically. To supply these demand apparel industry will follow the same growth with export market side by side. It results in the job advancement for each level of employees. Sewing machine operators can become supervisors for example. In 2010 we have seen great demand of garment manufacturing professional all over India in every profile. Experienced Indian professionals are welcomed by neighbour countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and U.A.E.