Centre sanctioned Rs 100 cr to set up FDDI campus in Gujarat

ANKLESHWAR: The Union Government has sanctioned Rs 100 crore to set up a Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) campus in Ankleshwar town in Bharuch district, Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, said here today.

"With a view to provide more professionals to the footwear industry in Gujarat and other states, the Ministry of Commerce decided to set up FDDI campus in Ankleshwar," Patel told reporters in a press conference.

"Admissions to the institute will start from the academic session in 2015," he said.

The institute currently has a pan-India presence with eight well-designed campuses at Noida, Fursatganj, Chennai, Kolkata, Chhindwara, Rohtak, Jodhpur and Guna.

The institute, which provides training in footwear design, retail management, technology management, fashion merchandising and creative designing, among others, is going to set up more campuses across the country, Patel said.

"India is the second largest global producer of footwear after China and accounts for almost more than 14 per cent of the global footwear production. However, the industry lacks skilled and professional manpower," Patel said.

Rajeev Lakhara, Managing Director of FDDI, said in the first phase, the Centre has sanctioned Rs 100 crore to set up a campus at Ankleshwar.

According to Lakhara, the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) has allotted 10 acres of land for the Ankleshwar campus to FDDI and process has been initiated for the construction of the campus.

"To overcome acute shortage of trained manpower in the leather & footwear industry, the FDDI has trained one lakh fresh youths and placed them in various footwear companies across India," Lakhara said.

Even as the FDDI plans to provide training to five lakh youths by 2020, there will be still shortage of 45 lakh trained personal in this sector, he said.

Lakhara claimed that FDDI has been providing 100 per cent placement to its students in leading corporate houses.