Leather And Footwear Industry

The leather and footwear industry has sought duty exemptions on a number of critical inputs such as synthetic leather, metal accessories, machinery, threads, moulds, and certain chemicals as the ongoing West Asia crisis has pushed input costs up by up to 60 per cent, an official said. The industry has recently flagged the matter with the commerce and industry ministry. The industry official said that the exporters have suggested the government for early implementation of the proposed FLOAT (Footwear and leather oriented transformation) scheme covering the entire product range, raw materials, machinery and inputs. They have also urged for duty-free import of crust and finished leathers to boost domestic manufacturing. "The industry is facing a sharp increase in raw material and input costs - rising by 40-60 per cent - due to the West Asia crisis. "In view of this, we have urged the government to provide import duty exemptions on critical inputs such as synthetic leather (PU-coated

The signing of the IndiaEuropean Union Free Trade Agreement will be a major boost for the footwear and leather industry and open up new opportunities for exporters, a senior official of the CLE said here on Saturday. The European Union is the largest market for India's footwear and leather sectors, accounting for 43 per cent of exports, Council for Leather Exports Executive Director R Selvam said. The Council for Leather Exports functions under the aegis of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and is the apex trade promotion organisation for India's leather and leather products sector. "The IndiaEU Free Trade Agreement, which provides for zero per cent import duty in the EU for the footwear and leather sector, will open up new opportunities for exporters and help achieve our envisaged export target of USD 14 billion by 2030," Selvam said. Speaking to reporters, he said the agreement would enhance cooperation between India and the EU not only in sourcing but also in investments. I

Metro Brands reported 15 per cent revenue growth in Q3FY26, driven by strong festive and wedding season demand, supported by a reduction in GST on footwear priced below ₹2,500.

Indian consumers are increasingly choosing homegrown sneaker brands over global labels, drawn by better comfort, local design relevance, sustainability and value-for-money pricing

Under the India-UK FTA, the current tariffs of up to 17 per cent on Indian leather and footwear products, will be reduced to 0 per cent gradually in 5 years

The company aims to tap India's value-conscious consumers in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, with affordable, fashion-relevant products under new brands

The row began after Prada revealed leather sandals at Milan Fashion Week that closely resembled Kolhapuri chappals

In May, Birkenstock filed an infringement lawsuit in the Delhi High Court against four footwear traders, four factories and two unnamed individuals

Linking of the Prada brand name to the Kolhapuri sandals, which are made by around 7,000 artisans in India, is providing a business opportunity for some

Metro Brands shares rose 6 per cent on Tuesday after it announced a strategic partnership with the British footwear brand, Clarks

The country's leather, non-leather footwear and products' exports rose by about 25 per cent year-on-year to USD 5.7 billion in 2024-25 and the shipments are likely to cross the USD 6.5 billion mark this fiscal, exporters' body CLE said on Monday. The Council for Leather Exports (CLE) said that demands in both developed and developing countries are "healthy". "In 2024-25, we have exceeded the exports target by USD 1 billion set up by the department of commerce and going by this trend, our exports will cross USD 6.5 billion in 2025-26," CLE Executive Director R Selvam said. He said that the sector is recording growth despite global uncertainties. Sharing similar views, CLE Chairman Rajendra Kumar Jalan said that the exports are doing good in both the US and the UK, the key export destinations for India. Due to the 10 per cent tariff hike, all the exporters are giving discounts to buyers, but there were no order cancellations, Jalan said. "From April 14-15, the situation is normal.

According to industry experts, the higher tariffs on China and Vietnam will turn out to be most beneficial for Tamil Nadu

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced a focus product scheme for the footwear sector in her Budget 2025 speech last month

Nuvama has picked Jubilant, Trent, V-Mart, Titan, and Aditya Vision as its top bets going forward, highlighting their strong performances and promising outlook

J Rafiq Ahmed, managing director, Kothari Industrial Corporation, said the number of employees in Phoenix Kothari is expected to cross 55,000 by 2027

"The new policy will aim to double the size of the UP leather industry in five years," said a senior state government official

Budget 2025: Relaxo Footwear share price surged 8.8 per cent on the BSE. Liberty Shoes rallied 7.4 per cent, Campus Activewear 6.12 per cent, and Bata India share price 2.8 per cent

The direct-to-consumer footwear brand aims to enhance customer experience and product offerings following a Rs 27 crore funding boost. It will deploy the funds to drive business growth and innovation

In an exchange filing Metro Brands said this partnership will expand the retail presence of New Era in India and deepen the company's retail expansion in the athleisure market.

Though the Kolhapuri chappal trade is robust, the industry remains largely unorganised and finds it challenging to meet demand