The Advisory Committee of Fashion Design Promotion Council (FDPC), the apex government recognised body for fashion in India, has unveiled plans for creating a dedicated area for marketing support to the Indian fashion designers. While rumours about plans for the project have been circulation since FDPC, India’s third fashion body, was established in February this year, this is the first time plans for a centre have been revealed.
To be called Fashion Hub, it will be located in Maidan Garhi in south Delhi and will include a business centre, shops for designers, a museum and even a hotel and a spa in an area of 10 acres. The project will be implemented under the administrative control of the textile ministry through public private partnership as proposed by the Planning Commission and will take off in this fiscal, according to FDPC.
Vijay Singh, Secretary and FDPC said, “I think that there is a need to create a demarcated zone where all Indian designers are present round the year and buyers from anywhere can visit any time.” Once off the ground, Singh estimates it will take about 30-36 months to complete the project and will cost about Rs 125 crores excluding the cost of the land. He indicated the example of Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), Noida as an example to emulate. FDPC, after a meeting of its member designers, has forwarded its suggestions to the ministry in a concept note, on the basis of which the government is expected to float a tender for the construction of the centre.
Raghavendra Rathore, vice-president, FDPC said, “Our aim is to amalgamate various aspects of fashion into one central location. This will take care of the thaws in momentum between the fashion weeks as well. The immediate plan is to find competent partner” to execute the project.” The top end of the Indian fashion sector has a very thin turnover, estimated to be worth Rs 300 crore—a micro sector industry. Of late, it has also been riven by discords and simultaneously adversely hit by the global economic downturn, which has seen exports decline.
India already has had the Fashion Design Council of India for about a decade and the Fashion Foundation of India, which was established last year, both of whom organise two mega fashion weeks annually. Besides, there is also the fashion week sponsored by Lakme in Mumbai, which claims to be the oldest fashion week in the country and the just launched Kolkata Fashion Week, which had its inaugural event earlier this month.
The FDPC, sponsored by the textiles ministry, has outlined areas to be addressed via this project that include hosting market meets and fashion shows during all the seasons. The Hub also plans to host a permanent exhibition on designer products from the Indian fashion industry, provide facilities of design, research on products and manufacturers, facilities for photo shoots etc.
