India and Canada have signed two different MoUs for skill development in the apparel sector. As per the MoU, Canada’s Fanshawe College will help impart training with modern quality methods to Indian trainers and in turn they would give training with new concepts to workers employed in the apparel, made-ups and home furnishing sectors in the country. This would result in the availability of a larger number of quality master trainers. This would further ensure quality training in the apparel sector.

Skill enhancement is considered necessary in the apparel sector mainly to reduce the rejection percentage. Imparting quality training with the latest concepts would help to enhance workers’ productivity levels, which is currently lower in India compared to its competing countries.

India hopes to conclude the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Canada by September 2015. Exporters in Tirupur welcomed this and say the CEPA would provide a good opportunity in future to boost India’s apparel exports to Canada. In 2013-14, total knitwear garment exports from India to Canada stood at Rs 680 crores, with Canada being the eleventh biggest destination for Indian knitwear exports. In the first ten months of financial year 2014-15, Indian knitwear exports to Canada were valued at Rs 565 crores.