7 October 2026: Dr. A. Sakthivel, Chairman, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) and Apparel Training & Design Centre (ATDC), met the leadership of the IAS Officers’ Wives Association (IASOWA) today to advance the organisations’ collaboration in women’s skill development and livelihood support. The meeting brought renewed attention to the R K Puram training initiative and the scope for extending the partnership to other states.
Dr. Sakthivel met Smt. Hema Somanathan, President, IASOWA; Smt. Shveta Gupta Kansal, Secretary; Smt. Archana Kumar, Treasurer; and Smt. Ragini Singh, Joint Secretary, in the presence of Prof. (Dr.) Roopak Vasishtha, Director General & CEO, ATDC.
Under the Chairman’s leadership, ATDC reaffirmed its commitment to providing training support, modern machinery and qualified faculty for the initiative. Dr. Sakthivel expressed his personal support for the project and sought Smt. Hema Somanathan’s support in exploring similar collaborations in other states, with the aim of bringing apparel skills and income-generating opportunities to more women.
The engagement builds on the three-year Memorandum of Understanding signed by ATDC and IASOWA on 15 July 2025. The partnership combines ATDC’s apparel training expertise with IASOWA’s commitment to women’s welfare. Its training facility operates at Grih Kalyan Kendra, Sector 4, R K Puram, New Delhi, with IASOWA providing space and essential utilities and ATDC supporting training delivery.
Progress presented for the meeting highlighted 47 students trained under the GAP-sponsored one-year Diploma in Apparel Manufacturing Technology and another 25 trained in the Sewing Machine Operator course. Beyond classroom learning, ATDC has helped women produce sling bags, laptop sleeves and home furnishing products for IASOWA. Participants have earned remuneration through this work while gaining practical experience in production, costing, quality and finishing, linking skill development with livelihood support.
Dr. Sakthivel also assured IASOWA President that overall two batches, consisting of 20 candidates each, sponsored by GAP or from any other CSR donor organisation would be earmarked for the R K Puram Centre.
The meeting places the partnership’s next phase within Dr. Sakthivel’s emphasis on continued institutional support and wider outreach. Building on the R K Puram experience, the proposed expansion offers a pathway to connect more women with practical apparel training, productive work and opportunities for greater economic independence.