Mumbai: Various designers have come together to form an apex body for the fashion industry that will work towards capacity building of the fashion, design and manufacturing industry. The body, named Fashion Foundation of India, will be a proactive body involved in multiple design, fashion, and craft initiatives that will help promote the industry and take it to the next level.

The founding members of the Foundation include leading designers like Meera Ali, Rohit Bal, Tarun Tahiliani, Anamika Khanna, Raghavendra Rathore, Varun Sardana, Abhijeet Khanna, Gaurav Gupta, Hemant Sagar, Atsu Sekhose, Alpana & Neeraj, Rahul Reddy, Priyadarshini Rao, Jason & Anshu and Malini Ramani and industry professional and fashion consultant Sumeet Nair.

Speaking on the launch, Fashion Foundation of India spokesperson Meera Ali said, "The Fashion Foundation of India is set up with the intent of bringing together leaders from across sectors to help grow the fashion and design industry in India as well as overseas. The Foundation will focus on developmental activities, incorporate best practices across areas, facilitate business collaborations, and undertake other initiatives in the interest of the industry other than just fashion events."

The Foundation will undertake developmental activities for the industry like improving sourcing and manufacturing, upgrading technical skills, development, and sustenance of craft and craft based skills, developing infrastructure, providing grants and soft loans. It will also provide knowledge based assistance to industry in matters related to IPR, finance, retail, merchandising, marketing, and journalism amongst others.

The Fashion Foundation of India will address both macro and micro issues affecting the fashion industry in India. The Foundation will work towards marketing 'India' as a 'design hub' and promote India globally as a new ideology in design.

"The Foundation will work closely with designers to understand their needs and bottlenecks and endeavour to provide customized solutions. It will work towards furthering the business interests of each designer by giving such assistance as soft loans / grants based on proposals made by each...

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