`Italian standard` footwear leather to be produced in India
A new tannery aimed at serving the burgeoning market for footwear leather from
Described by Forward as the country’s first bovine tannery to benefit from Italian tanning expertise, ‘Conceria Virginia Chennai' (CVC) is a joint venture between Forward and Conceria Virginia Italy (CVI). Forward will have a 75% stake in the Chennai-based operation and the Italian company a 25% share.
Scheduled for opening in June 2004, the six million sq. ft. facility will be headed by managing director of the Forward Group, Yavar Dhala, and have its output showcased at a 3,000 sq. ft. leather showroom in Chennai, which is due for opening this April.
Hides and wet blue will be sourced by CVI from its established European contacts, with the Italian company also providing the necessary technical and marketing input. This company will base two senior technologists in Chennai to run the manufacturing facility while Ms. Laura Verucci will head the global marketing operations. The facility will benefit from an intial investment of Rs.10 crores ($2.3 million) with revenues of Rs. 60 crores ($13.25 million) being envisaged by the third year of operation.
“There are good tanneries in India producing goat and buffalo leathers, but the quality of bovine finished leather, even from the country’s best tanneries, does not compare with that produced in Italy,” commented Mr Dhala. “This new tannery will combine
In addition to domestic footwear producers, CVC will target South East Asian countries, with emphasis on
CVI is described as a 10 year old Italian footwear leather tannery promoted by Matteo Di Palma and Mario Cantini with revenues of 20 million euros. Its major customers include Salamander, Lloyd, Tod's and Helix.
