India’s leather industry moves “into a new phase”
01/02/2017
Exports of finished leather, footwear, leather garments, leathergoods and saddlery achieved a combined total of more than $5.8 billion in export revenues, 9.9% down on the total for 2014-2015. The overall turnover of the sector, including sales in the domestic market, passed $12 billion in 2015-2016.
At a press conference at the start of the 2017 India International Leather Fair in Chennai, the chairman of India’s Council for Leather Exports (CLE), Mukhtarul Amin, said: “India’s leather industry is moving into a new phase, and we are thinking big because we can see a lot of opportunity.” He said the domestic market is growing, as is per capita income, and that consumers in India now want branded products.
With regard to exports, Mr Amin went on to say that the central government of India is still “very supportive” of the leather industry and that Indian producers of leather and finished products are looking to grow their market share in new and old export markets. “Our factories are much better now,” the CLE chairman said, “and we are achieving high levels of environmental performance. Some of the bigger brands are now looking at India [for outsource manufacturing partners] and they like what they have seen.”
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