Knowledge building on productivity management in garments sector and sustainable integration in global supply chain

Knowledge building workshop in collaboration with State Government of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to promote learning among apparel manufacturers in the two states about some practical and low-cost tips from lead buyers, Apparel Export Promotion Council and ILO to enhance productivity and align business practises to international standards

Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have the comparative advantages in terms of cotton availability, presence of spinning and textile mills, land, and labour availability. While enabling policy environment will be important success determinants for the progression of these States from textiles to garments and an upward move in the value chain, equally important will be paying attention to improving the firm productivity. Low firm productivity is a major stumbling block in India. Sound management practices can raise productivity. However, productivity and working conditions are inter-linked, but least understood by MSMEs in India. For apparel MSME manufacturers aspiring to integrate into global supply chain, management practises building on cooperative relations and working conditions assumes significance, due to drive for same by lead buyers.

The ILO initiative on ‘Promoting Sustainable Enterprises in India or PSEI’ through a series of similar knowledge building workshops, and SCORE in-factory training to apparel manufacturers will facilitate their understanding of expectations of lead buyers and guide them to upgrade their management practises. This workshop promotes buyer-seller interaction, presents key expectations of lead buyers and introduces ILO’s global productivity management tool, SCORE (or Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises), besides an overview future global trends in apparel sector.