India has immense potential in footwear sector and can increase the production and export 10 times in near future, said Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal while virtually addressing ‘Meet at Agra-Leather, Footwear Components & Technology Fair’.
Goyal said that about 7,000 small industries units are connected with footwear sector which holds great significance to the economy and foreign exchange earnings of the country.
Nearly 40% women are employed in the sector and for every 1,000 pairs that are produced/sold, 425 jobs are secured.
India is the second largest producer of footwear and leather garment and can become world leader and accounts for nearly 3 billion sq.ft of world’s tannery, he added.
Goyal urged the industry representatives to ensure safety and health measures of the laborers working in the sector. He advocated ethical and responsible practices – zero-waste discharge, salt-free tanning, and occupational health and safety interventions.
He suggested the stakeholders to adopt Quality Control Order so that imports could be limited and good quality exports may be achieved. He said strong global branding through road shows, e-platforms and Global JVs will help the sector make a mark globally.
Goyal suggested multi-skilling so that world best quality should be manufactured/produced in India as well as global markets. He said that the centre is working towards getting zero duty access through Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) in leather goods, sportswear and footwear.
The Union Minister urged the sector representatives to look into non-leather footwear sector as well. He quoted the example of textile sector mentioning that a lot of emphasis is now being given to the production of man-made fibre.
The centre has notified the Indian Footwear & Leather Development Programme (IFLDP) with an outlay of Rs 1,700 crore for implementation during 2021-26.
