Uniform & Garments Manufacturing Project

In order to provide opportunities for employment as well as income generation to the skilled and unskilled ESM, and their female dependents, who are unable to find a job in the open market, the Corporation introduced “Uniform & Garments Manufacturing Project” in year 2019 as a small-scale production enterprise. It is a women-oriented project where the Corporation expects to accommodate 150 or more women including widows of Ex-servicemen, who have no other alternative source of income for their livelihood, by setting up of small tailoring units in various districts of the State over a period of time. The project was inaugurated at a grand function held at Thiruvananthapuram by Shri EP Jayarajan, the Hon’ble Minister for Industries & Youth Affairs on 27 February 2019. Accordingly, during the year 2019-20, two units were set up in Thiruvananthapuram District and one unit in Kannur (Thalassery) District, with five women dependents of ESM in each unit who got the opportunity to work in Phase – I of the project. It is proposed to set up three more units, employing five women in each unit in the current financial year. The Uniform and Garments Manufacturing project envisages implementation in three phases as given below.

Uniform & Garments Manufacturing Project Phase – I (Financial Year 2019-20): The project proposal for Phase I was submitted for the financial year 2019-20 in which project cost was suggested to be shared between Kexcon and the Government proportionately. The Government of Kerala allocated Rs 20 Lakhs for Uniform and Garment Manufacturing Project Phase-I in the budget for the financial year 2019-20.  Of this, Rs 16 Lakhs were received and the project was implemented successfully achieving the laid down target for the year.  The project is equipped with modern Jukki sewing machines, Button Holing and Button Hole works machines in its units. The project was able to produce 2042 khaki uniforms for security guards and 40 uniforms for NCC students.

Uniform & Garments Manufacturing Project Phase– II (Financial Year 2020-21): Confidence gained from the successful operation of ‘Uniform and Garments Manufacturing Project Phase I’ during the year 2019-20, provided the impetus to the Corporation to move ahead to Phase II of the project. The proposal for “Uniform & Garments Manufacturing Project Phase II” envisages the setting up of three more project units to provide quality and elegant uniforms to Student Police Cadets, NCC Cadets and school students (girls) while aiming at income generation by those engaged in the work. The proposed units of the project (two in Thiruvananthapuram and one in Alappuzha Districts) will employ five women in each unit with a target production of 3750 uniforms per year. The project proposal was processed through the Sainik Welfare Directorate for inclusion in the Plan Funds for the year 2020-21. During the presentation of the project proposal before the State Planning Board in October 2019, the cost was proposed to be shared between Kexcon and Government. The project was then forwarded to the Government for Plan Funds allocation.