Disruptions are opportunities aver experts during NCFAT

Amity School of Fashion Technology organised a day-long National Conference on Fashion Apparel & Textile 2020 (NCFAT’20). A host of speakers from within the country and across the globe gathered virtually to deliberate on the theme “Fashion & Textile Industry 4.0 – Opportunities & Challenges for Education 4.0”. Twenty four research papers and nine poster presentations were presented by researchers from leading institutes from across the country.

Divya Chauhan, Chairperson, ASFT, ASFA and ASPA, welcomed the wide array of speakers and stated that a virtual conference like this allows everyone to come together on a common platform. She called for serious deliberations and efforts to be made to revive the textile industry and make students continue their learning and become industry ready in the changing times.

Prof (Dr) Balvinder Shukla, Vice Chancellor, AUUP, stated that these were challenging times across the globe that affected all the sectors. She shared how Amity University was able to leverage technology owing to its pre-preparedness and even though students were away from campuses, they were continuing their education in the remote learning mode using technology. She said that innovation in the fashion, textile & apparel industry needs to be widespread with skill development being a key requirement for the sectors growth. Dr Shukla called for having a dedicated and professional approach to succeed in the industry and also understand the skill sets required in this changing course of the sector.

Ram Sareen, Chairman and Founder Tukatech Los Angeles, CA U.S.A averred that solutions can be found if problems or challenges are identified. He stated that disruptions are opportunities and technology will not take away jobs but strengthen the industry. He added that different problems have different solutions with Brands; people; customer relationships and information being the ‘New World’ Assets. Sareen stated that technology is affordable and yet has amazing results. He also shared the success of on-demand manufacturing model using digital means. He averred how 3D printed garments are garnering huge success while eliminating real sample making progress. He further stressed on finding the positive in every scenario.

Vijay Mathur, Executive Director, Apparel Training and Design Center stated the need for talking about Education 4.0 for the future. He averred that the pandemic has given an opportunity to lay a new chessboard and asked if the components of the apparel industry can be fixed. Mathur called for adoption of digital twins for optimising of performance and maintenance of digital systems in the industry. He asked Amity students to come together to visit factories and study how digital twins can be implemented to fill the gaps in the sector, allowing Education 4.0 to go beyond the classroom.

Dr Rajesh Bheda, Managing Director, Rajesh Bheda Consulting India, gave an insight about Industry 4.0 and its components with the various initiatives undertaken at the Indian front. He averred that the apparel industry has been making use of technology in several facets and stated how simulation (of shop floor production) will be more powerful with AI. Dr. Bheda also shared use of automation through autoseam and how solutions are becoming more evolved using technology. He further called for taking Industry 4.0 for the benefit of the society for building Society 5.0.

Kazi Iftequer Hossain, President, Bangladesh Garment Buying House Association, called for working towards building a sustainable industry and products. He stressed on knowing and analysing data in detail to develop the industry to meet the changing requirements.

CATEGORIES Trade Fair