Superhouse Leathers, one of India’s largest exporters of leather goods, is turning its attention towards the domestic market following the successful launch of a range of shoes. The company entered the Indian footwear sector with the UK-registered brand Allen Cooper in February 2000 and has now set up a new factory in Kanpur to meet demand. Another factory has also been set up in Noida to start producing womens’ shoes with a view to extending the range early in 2002.

The company also plans to introduce branded leather goods, accessories and garments to the domestic market with a proposed chain of exclusive outlets. The first of these stores opened in Lucknow last month and another one is scheduled to open in Delhi soon. The branded leather goods market in India is dominated by names such as Hidesign and DaMilano.

Kanpur-based Superhouse now has 14 factories in India and is among the top eight leather goods manufacturers in the country. The company says that it plans to take its export turnover to Rs 300 crore ($62.5 million) by 2005