Size of the Industry | Indian leather industry has capacity to produce l776 million pairs; 112 million pairs of Shoe Uppers; Non-leather footwear - 960 million pairs |
Geographical distribution | Tamil Nadu - Chennai, Ambur, Ranipet, Vaniyambadi, Trichy, Dindigul ; West Bengal - Kolkata ; Uttar Pradesh - Kanpur, Agra & Noida ; Maharashtra - Mumbai ; Punjab - Jallandhar ; Karnataka - Bangalore ; Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad ; Haryana - Ambala, Gurgaon, Panchkula and Karnal; Delhi |
Output per annum | Has an annual turnover of approximately US$ 5,000,000 |
Percentage in world market | Indian Leather Industry currently is one among the top 8 industries for export revenue generation in India, holding 10% of the global raw material, and 2% of the global trade |
Market capitalization | India produces approx 700 million pairs of leather footwear every year and accounts for an 18% share of the total Indian leather export. |



The post liberalization era has opened up a great plethora of opportunities for the Indian Leather Industry. As the global players looking for new sourcing options while in addition to China, India stands to gain a bigger share of the global market. Leading brands from the US and Europe have plans to source leather and leather products from India.
Indian Leather Industry currently is one among the top 8 industries for export revenue generation in India, holding 10% of the global raw material, and 2% of the global trade. India has become biggest livestock producer in the world, with the capacity of 1.8 billion square feet of leather production annually. Global Footwear of 13% production comprising of 16 billion pairs are made in India. India today produces 2065 million pairs of various categories of footwear. It exports 115 million pairs, thus having 95% of its production to meet its own domestic demand.
Indian leather industry has the credit of being one of the oldest manufacturing industries catering to the global market from the 19th century. The age of the industry has linked it with social and organizational structure, and emerges as a complex one with elements of continuity and traditional structures. The ultimate quality of the Indian leather combined with efficient craftsmanship has secured a sturdy place for Indian leather goods in the global market. Indian leather industry is getting more organized, with a springing capacity for expansion.



Indian leather Industry occupies a prominent place in the Indian economy in view of its massive potential for employment, growth and exports. There has been an increasing emphasis on its planned development, aimed at optimum utilisation of available raw materials for maximising the returns, particularly from exports. The exports of leather and leather products gained momentum during the past two decades. There has been a phenomenal growth in exports from Rs.320 million in the year 1965-66 to Rs.69558 million in 1996-97. Today Indian Leather Industry has attained well merited recognition in international markets besides occupying a prominent place among the top seven foreign exchange earners of the country.


![]() | Among all the industries the footwear industry in particular holds greater potential for investments in India. Today India produces approx 700 million pairs of leather footwear every year and accounts for an 18% share of the total Indian leather export.
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Though India is the second largest producer of footwear and leather garments in the world, India accounts for a share of close to 3% in the global leather import trade of US$ 137 billion (2008).
Leather Production centers for leather products are located in Tamil Nadu - Chennai, Ambur, Ranipet, Vaniyambadi, Trichy, Dindigul ; West Bengal - Kolkata ; Uttar Pradesh - Kanpur, Agra & Noida ; Maharashtra - Mumbai ; Punjab - Jallandhar ; Karnataka - Bangalore ; Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad ; Haryana - Ambala, Gurgaon, Panchkula and Karnal; Delhi
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To develop the footwear industry the Indian Government has come up with numerous initiatives. Footwear Industry is now de-licensed and de-reserved, providing expansion of capacities on modern lines with state-of-the-art machinery. Government has also permitted 100% Foreign Direct Investment through the automatic route for the footwear sector. Nearly 75% of the leather products exported from India goes to EU and US.


Top 10 leather exporters
- Tata International Ltd.
- Florind Shoes Ltd.
- Punihani International
- Farida Shoes Ltd.
- Mirza Tanners Ltd.
- T. Abdul Wahid & Company
- Hindustan Lever Ltd.
- Super House Leather Ltd.
- RSL Industries Ltd.
- Presidency Kid Leather Ltd.




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The Indian federal government has earmarked a Rs 4.5 billion grant to be made available to the industry to boost the country's leather industry over a span of five years, the fund availability is conditional upon the sector's attracting an annual investment of Rs 2.2 trillion.
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In 2002, the investments in the Indian Leather Industry stood at Rs 410 million. Footwear and their components account for about 25 %of India's total leather products exports. These two markets also offer Indian leather industry vast scope for exports of saddler and harness.
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India is the world's second largest producer of footwear; its production estimated over 700 million pairs per annum. At about US $ 300 million per year, footwear accounts for 18 percent share of total exports of leather exports.
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Products exported from India include dresses, shoes, casuals, moccasins, sports shoes, horacchis, sandals, ballerinas, and booties. Major production centres are at Chennai (Madras), Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Mumbai (Bombay), Calcutta and Jalandhar.
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The government of India for it 200-2009 Foreign Trade Policy has identified the leather sector as a focus sector in view of its immense potential for export growth and generation of employment generation prospects.
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India is one of the best destinations in the world for investing in the leather industry because India is endowed with abundant raw materials required for the industry to grow. India has a huge population of cattle. India accounts for 21% of the world's cattle and buffalo and 11% of the world's goat and sheep population.
- The Government is also making efforts to implement various Special Focus Initiatives under the Foreign Trade Policy for the growth of leather sector. Leather industry is aimed to augment the production, thereby to enhance export upto US$ 7.03 billion by 2013-14 which shall create additional employment opportunities for overall one million people.
Recent Press Release
INDIAN leather INDUSTRY AT A Glance IN 2021 - 2022
INDIAN leather INDUSTRY AT A Glance IN 2020 - 2021
INDIAN leather INDUSTRY AT A Glance IN 2019 - 2020
INDIAN leather INDUSTRY AT A Glance IN 2018 - 2019
INDIAN leather INDUSTRY AT A Glance IN 2017 - 2018
INDIAN leather INDUSTRY AT A Glance IN 2015 - 2016
INDIAN leather INDUSTRY AT A Glance IN 2014 - 2015
INDIAN leather INDUSTRY AT A Glance IN 2013 - 2014
INDIAN leather INDUSTRY AT A Glance IN 2012 - 2013
INDIAN leather INDUSTRY AT A Glance IN 2011 - 2012
Indian Industries
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