With new apparel cluster, Noida to emerge as a ‘fashion hub’, will create 5 lakh jobs: says Smriti Irani
NOIDA: Union minister for textile and women and child development Smriti Irani on Tuesday said five lakh jobs will be created as a result of an apparel cluster which is to be developed in the Noida region, and that her ministry will help the project. The minister’s statement was in response to Noida authority chief executive officer Ritu Maheshwari’s request that the district be developed into a “fashion hub”.
“Noida is a gateway to Uttar Pradesh and offers an environment conducive for development, growth and women empowerment. The apparel cluster will create 5 lakh jobs in the time to come and offer opportunities,” said Irani at an event organised at the Indira Gandhi Kala Kendra in Sector 6.
She distributed cloth bags as part of an initiative launched by the Noida Apparel Export Cluster (NAEC) to discourage the use of single-use plastic. The cluster has pledged to distribute one lakh cloth bags in the next three months across the district.
There are about 3,000 garment manufacturing units in Noida employing thousands. Apart from this, the state government has asked the Yamuna Expressway industrial development authority (Yeida) to develop an “apparel park” in Sector 29, located along the 165km Yamuna Expressway. The park will be developed right next to the site where the Noida International Greenfield Airport is going to be developed on a 5,000 hectares area. Officials said they are hopeful this park will boost economic growth in the region.
“The Yeida has started the process of land allotment to about 150 investors, who will invest ₹5,000 crore in the apparel park, to be developed in Sector 29 in the next three years. We will manufacture all kinds of garments and accessories, including buttons, yarn and other materials at these units,” said Lalit Thukral, president, NAEC.
The state government has designated Noida city into apparel category, said officials, adding it will boost the image of this industrial town.
Maheshwari said the authority is also mulling over establishing a “fashion street” so that the city can emerge as a fashion hub in times to come.
“We will develop and market Noida as a fashion hub for industrial growth and job creation,” said Maheshwari.
The fashion street can be developed on the lines of Paris fashion markets, officials said.
“We have proposed that the fashion street should have high-end fashion stores, restaurants and ramps. We want that people of all budgets come for food and shopping, and enjoy fashion shows frequently like it happens in Paris,” said Thukral.