Eligibility

The footwear industry usually employs science graduates who have some training in the management and supervision of footwear. Graduates with diplomas in footwear designing are accepted as designers. 

Candidates with postgraduate degrees or with diplomas in footwear technology are also accepted in the industry. The other way to enter the industry is through private entrepreneurship, particularly if it is a family business.

Training

There are not many institutions in the country offering courses in footwear technology. However, the Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI), located at centers in Noida, near Delhi, and also in Madras, provides professional training in the management, supervision and design of
footwear. 

The institute was established in 1990 by the Ministry of Commerce, to encourage young people to join the industry. It has been aided by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and most of its instructors have been trained abroad, under the National Leather Development Programme (NLDP). 

Apart from imparting knowledge and skill in footwear technology, the FDDI aims at improving the export potential of Indian footwear. The institute also aims at human resource development, skill upgradation of artisans, and technical and management related consultancy. 

The FDDI also has a testing laboratory of international standards, set up in collaboration with the Swiss company `Bally', for testing the physical capability of leather. It also runs a Computer Aided Design Center (CADC) and a Resource Library/Library. 

The Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) in Madras also has provisions for training and research in the specific area of leather. The institute offers long and short-term training courses to students who have cleared the class XII exam. It also offers postgraduate degrees and diplomas in footwear technology. 

There is also the Central Footwear Training Center (CFTC) based at Madras, which offers degrees and diplomas in footwear technology. 

Moreover, footwear science and engineering are offered at the postgraduate level as an M.Tech. programme at the Alaggappa College of Technology, and also as a postgraduate diploma programme at the College of Engineering, Madras.

Eligibility

The Management course in Footwear Technology (MFT) at the FDDI is of 18 months duration. Required qualification for this course is a BE/B.Tech. in mechanical engineering or production engineering. Graduates in leather technology with a minimum of 60% marks and postgraduates (M.Sc.) in physics or chemistry can also join the training programme. 

The Supervisory course in Footwear Technology (SFT) is a one-year course. The required qualification for this course is a B.Sc. or a diploma in mechanical engineering, with a minimum of 60% marks, or a diploma in footwear technology. 

Diploma in Footwear Designing (DFD) is a course of one year's duration. For this course, the institute accepts graduates in fine arts, or graduates in any other discipline having a flair for sketching. 

Another category is that of sponsored students-sponsored by their companies-with at least two years' work experience, and a B.Sc. degree. The company has to pay double the fees and the student has to clear the same examination as the other candidates. The institute, however, accepts only two sponsored students at a time.

Admission to the FDDI is through an entrance examination conducted at Noida, Delhi, Madras, Mumbai and Calcutta, consisting of a written test and interview. There are no reservations for admission for any category, and therefore selection is purely on merit.

Academic Programme

The training programmes are based on practical training, combined with theoretical input. The course syllabus is completely modular, broken down into hours and modules. The curriculum is of international standards and the management syllabus has been framed in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, and the faculty of Management Studies, Delhi University. The FDDI, with its various contacts, also has provisions for placement of successful candidates, through campus interviews. 

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

Capability to work hard and to work long hours. Thorough knowledge of science and of machines is essential for managers and supervisors, since they have to handle advanced technology. Designers, on the other hand, should have a flair for visual conceptualizing and sketching, and should also have creative and innovative skills.