An Apparel Training and Design Centre (ATDC) will be set up in the city Agra soon. The new centre will contribute in a big way to the growth of the apparel-making industry in Agra and a major boost to the textile industry. The ATDC is expected to start functioning in the city by January next year.

Kishan Chand Jain of Agra Development Foundation, a delegation member giving a ringing endorsement to this move said that Agra city has a large population of artisans who are engaged in hand embroidery, zardozi and other handmade products (like carpets, rugs etc). The talent pool is ready to take advantage of the centre.

The tailors in Agra need to be upgraded to work on modern machines to manufacture clothes for both international and domestic market too.

The ATDC will be give training to people in a team of 25 for 45 days in clothes designing.

A delegation of Agra-based industrialists had met the textile minister Santosh Gangwar in October this year, and had requested him to accelerate the process in this direction.

The delegation had also submitted a representation for setting up of apparel training and design centre (ATDC) in Agra. They sought the minister's intervention in issuing necessary instructions to the authority concerned and the apparel export promotion council (AEPC) for the setting up an ATDC in Agra.

Subsequently, Gangwar had announced that an apparel manufacturing park as well as an ATDC would be set up in Agra.

A team from textile ministry is expected to visit the city to finalize the location of the centre. The Centre has also planned to develop 13 apparel parks across the country. The government has decided to provide 40% subsidy to private developers for setting up Rs 100 crore textile cluster in 15 acres of land.