The quiet serenity of Sitapura, despite the presence of more than 150 garment factories running in full swing, is a pleasant surprise for a first-time visitor. The satisfaction of manufacturing in the area is writ large on the faces of the owners, and industry experts claim that all the 17 big and small parameters which make any hub or cluster a success or help to create supportive working culture/environment is present at Sitapura, on the outskirts of Jaipur. Team AO investigates the ground realities…
RIICO’s (Rajasthan State Industrial Development & Investment Corporation Ltd.) Garment Zone, EPIP (Export Promotion Industrial Park) in Sitapura Jaipur is one of the best examples of what a garment cluster should be like. Not only are the basic infrastructure like good roads and power supply available, but other major advantages include proximity with city as well as airport, labour availability as well as its cost, support structure, overall peace and law enforcement and enthusiastic buyer visitation, additionally there is further scope of expansion. In fact, this area is serving the purpose of a model hub, surpassing many other well established garment manufacturing destinations.
This area was planned over one-and-a- half decade ago to make support the growth of Jaipur garment exporters as earlier they were running their units in residential or congested areas and it really proved a hindrance to business for the exporters. “I rarely go to my Sitapura based factory as things move very smoothly there and rarely does any major difficulty arise. We are very comfortable there. I have not seen any such industrial area for garmenting,” says Rajendra Bhatia, MD, India Today Fashions, who is having factory in Sitapura as well as in Malviya Nagar Industrial Area (Jaipur). The meticulously well planned area is responsible for the success and smooth working of this hub and even the annual sourcing event Vastra is also being organized within the area and it is helping to attract the buyer for more visitations in the future. “We do have a factory in Mumbai as well, and interestingly 90 per cent of our buyers visit Jaipur as they prefer it rather than Mumbai,” shares Dalpat Lodha, Director, Lodha Impex, one of the well known exporters of Jaipur.
The meticulously well planned area is responsible for the success and smooth working of this hub and even the annual sourcing event Vastra is also being organized within the area and it is helping to attract the buyer for more visitations in the future.
While visiting this area, Apparel Online also noticed that constructions of many factories were in progress and most of them were near completion. It is a clear sign that this area is moving towards growth and more business. Though the price of land here is very high as compared to Jaipur and other industrial areas which are almost 70 kilometres away from Jaipur, but the attraction of Sitapura is enhanced with the coming up of the Apparel Park (Jagatpura) which is just 10 kilometre from here and many companies have already setup their factories there, or are looking at it as an option. “In 1999, we were among the first ones to start a factory here and land was allotted at almost Rs. 500-600 per sq. metre and now the rate is Rs. 25,000 per sq. metre, but as in future our new factory will be in nearby Jagatpura so we will have the advantage of proximity,” says Smike Gupta, CMD, Rupayan. 133 applicants got land at Jagatpura for garmenting units at the rate of Rs. 4,700 per sq. metre, though it is will take time to develop basic infrastructure here.
Yet, the hub is not perfect…; there is a need to promote the hub at an international level to create greater awareness so that more and more new buyers can visit this hub. Drinking water is the major problem in this area and mid-size companies are spending monthly almost Rs. 20,000 on the same. To expand public transport systems like metro to the hub will help increase accessibility, especially for middle-level management living in Jaipur.
