Progressive year ahead for India

摘要

The leather industry still occupies a prominent position in the Indian economy. With an annual availability of approximately 3 billion square-feet, India accounts for 13% of the world's leather production. The export of leather, leather products and footwear reached a value of $5.7 billion in the most recent financial year of 2018/2019, down slightly from the previous year's figure and short of the projected 7% growth. In a move to improve the capacity to produce more finished goods, the Council for Leather Exports (CLE) has been in talks with the state government in Tamil Nadu and has identified a location approximately 200 kilometres from Chennai for setting up a new project for the leather industry in the form of 'plug-and-play' factories. The government will provide the land and other basic infrastructure. "Approximately 100 acres of land has been identified for new facilities for the manufacture of footwear, leathergoods and accessories. This offering from the government reduces the investment required, particularly in this financial climate, for entrepreneurs and enables them to start up very quickly," Israr Ahmed, CLE regional chairman for the south told World Leather. An investment promise of $100 million dollars has already been committed by existing businesses to invest in the park. The Tamil Nadu government has also been putting on roadshows in Taiwan and China to generate interest among possible partners to bring new expertise to the parks in the manufacture of women's and athleisure shoes, growth areas that India would like to move into.