Upscale relocation for Dharavi leather units
The government of Maharashtra is planning to establish an industrial park near the Deonar abattoir in Mumbai to support the leather industry in Dharavi, according to a report by The Hindustan Times.
The park will include more than a hundred showrooms and other facilities to help boost the industry. The main goal of this plan is to encourage younger generations to take up the traditional leather industry and provide alternative space for industrial units that have moved out of Dharavi. Moreover, the government is also planning to create a mega cluster for leather industries in Raigad.
Leather Industries Development Corporation of Maharashtra (Lidcom), a state government undertaking, has designed the plan and hired a consultant to work on its design. Lidcom's managing director, Dhammajyoti Gajbhiye, stated that such an enterprise was necessary since the number of leather units in Dharavi has decreased over the years. There were over 200 tanneries 50 years ago, but none exist now. Raw materials are sourced from Kanpur, Devas, Kolkata, and Chennai, and manufacturing is conducted in 400 units, with only 5% local participation.
According to Gajbhiye, young people from the traditional leather industry community are not interested in continuing the legacy. To generate interest among the youth and provide an alternative space for industrial units that have moved out of Dharavi, Deonar Park has been established. The new facilities will only be available to locals affiliated with Lidcom in Dharavi and other parts of the state on lease. The park will also include ancillary facilities such as a design studio, testing lab, common facility studio, marketing and export centres, and a training centre.
