Silver Jubilee of Knitwear Club

Hosiery Knitwear Industry of Ludhiana may have become old, but it still retains its vigorous warmth

On December 20, 2009, Knitwear Club, Ludhiana celebrated its Silver Jubilee function at Gold Souk Grande, G.T.Road, Ludhiana. The Club was formed in 1984 and Industry give me the credit to take this initiative. .

In 1984, I was the General Manager-cum-Technical Co-ordinator of ‘Industry Research and Assistance Centre’ (Popularly known as Knitwear Facility Centre), a Government of Punjab undertaking, aided by UNDP, specially established to assist the Hosiery Knitwear Industry of Ludhiana to enable it upgrade from conventional methods of knitwear production, and to adopt latest technology, processing techniques and designing so that Hosiery Units could export its product to the Hard Currency Areas (Dollars and EU Currency).

Photo: Vikas Garg, Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana  along with SSP, Ludhiana presenting a momento to J.N.Vohra to hounor him for his services to the Ludhiana Knitwear Industry

UNDP had mandated the knitwear facility centre to build strong linkages with the industry so that message of the project could be communicated to the entrepreneurs, who were highly disorganised and widely scattered in the city. The task of persuading the entrepreneurs to come on one platform and making them understand the objective of the UNDP project required much effort, more so, when the message to be conveyed by the project would not have brought any immediate benefit to them, since technology displayed was costly and beyond comprehension of large section of the industry. The hosiery industry was regulated on micro and small scale. It was owner managed and thumb–to- rule rather any rational principles of operations were prevalent. Skilled man-power to operate upgraded technology was scanty, moreover, the cost of the sophisticated equipment displayed by the centre were not cost effective on the scale of operations of the units at that time period.

Photo: Sh Suraj Bhan jain, Chairman, Knitwear Club welcoming J.N.Vohra

Above all, all previous efforts by the industry by themselves to form various associations were not very effective and some associations which came up got terminated or became ineffective as soon as the objectives of their formation were achieved or the objectives became no longer relevant. Under such situation to form another platform for the entrepreneurs to come and share views or take up common cause for the benefit of the industry was a gigantic task.

However, I took upon a new experiment and devised a type of association, which was not on formal lines, but had informal ingredients, where, the entrepreneurs could meet and discuss their problems, exchange views, share their experiences, organise some seminars of their own liking, invite persons of eminence or official with whom they maintained a rapport. The idea was that once they meet on this informal platform, the Knitwear Facility Centre would also have the opportunity to spread its message. Therefore, this initiative was taken to invite some of the active entrepreneurs to come and form an adhoc committee to launch the association, appropriately named as Knitwear Club to reflect its informal character. A constitution was drafted to reflect a socio-economic and commercial viewpoint of the Club.

Once a momentum was given to this association, the enthusiastic entrepreneurs went on bringing into focus their industrial interests on various issues, which otherwise they could not voice due to scattered and disorganised nature of the industry. Some initial successes, and the enhancement of the prestige of the office bearers of the Club in the eyes of the project management, the UNDP representatives, and the Government of the Day, all together, acted as a big incentive for the industry to hold on to the Club and they started nourishing it further. Visiting UNIDO officials further supported the club to expand its activities.

At present, the Club boasts of many achievements. It has its own office space. Many off-shoots of the Club came into being, such as Wool Club, Federation of Knitting and Textile Associations (FEKTA) of the City. The Club also gave impetus to other ventures such as Buyer-Seller Meet (Knits and Wears), and the Integrated Textile Park. Now, the total turn over of the industry has exceeded Rs.10,000 crores and about 1500 crores of exports, starting from merely Rs.100 crores when the Club was launched.

Some amongst many eminent entrepreneurs of the industry, who successfully carried the flag of Knitwear Club forward , were Mr. P.C.Sachdeva, Mr. Ajay Dewan, Sh Suraj Bhan Jain. Later, real push and ambitious drive to the club for bringing its name on the National and International scene was given by its incumbent President Mr. Vinod Thaper. Industry says that I have sown the seeds of the Knitwear Club, of course it is true,  but they began it well and nourished the Club to enable it bear fruits. Well began was half done.

The Silver Jubilee function held on December 20, 2009 was heart-warming. It was more than a family reunion and emotional event for me. People of Ludhiana are beyond belief or understanding in extending their gratitude and recognition of persons who happen to help them, howsoever small the assistance it may be. I wish them all great times ahead.