Indian exporters downbeat
28/01/2009
India’s leather sector exporters expect orders to fall by around 20% this year, industry leaders said in the build-up to the India International Leather Fair, which takes place in Chennai from January 31 to February 3.
”Tanneries are now working at 30%–40% capacity, as against 80% utilisation last November. All exporters will see around a 20% fall in their order volumes,” said Zackria Sait, chairman of the Indian Finished Leather Manufacturers and Exporters Association.
He was speaking at a meeting organised by the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) to announce the 43rd Leather Research Industry Get-Together (LERIG-2009), a two-day event that traditionally takes place in the days leading up to the start of the exhibition.
Habib Hussain, chairman of the Council for Leather Exports (CLE), said the industry could not be fully dependent on the domestic market. “The retailing sector in India is yet to evolve to sell our products. The existing retail outlets are being serviced by others,” he said.
M. Rafeeque Ahmed, chairman of footwear exporter Farida group, said the state government in Tamil Nadu was not helping the industry during difficult times, despite the fact that nearly 50% of leather footwear companies in the state focus on export markets.
Share this story:
