NID, Bocconi join hands to start design mgmt course

National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, and Bocconi University, Milan (Italy), are jointly launching the country's first programme to train aspiring managers to manage fashion and design based companies.

The three-month pilot course, starting on September 18, is supported by Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) and Altagamma, an association of Italian design houses.

Altagamma controls about 27 per cent of the world's luxury market and its members include big names like Alessi, Capellini, Cassini, Gucci, Ferrari, Versace, Valentino among others.

The course will admit 30 students with at least two years work experince in management, operations and line function areas.

The students will undergo six weeks coursework at NID taught by the faculties of NID, Bocconi University, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and industry experts.

They will then take a three week study with Altagamma companies in Milan or Tulin in Italy and follow it up with a field research projects in India for three to four weeks.

The course is estimated to cost around Rs 5.5 lakh (Euro 10,000).

Speaking about the course, Darlie Koshy, executive director of NID said, "There is a scarcity of design managers in the Rs 2,000 crore Indian design industry."

Retail industry is expanding in the country and the course will cater to the need of managers who will handle luxury branding, design, fashion and lifestyle section as well as face global competition, he adde.

The institute plans to further develop the programme into a full fledged one year programme and experiences of the the course will also complement and augment the design management course which the institute flagged of last year.