Parliament panel calls for global promotion of Indian leather products

Parliamentary panel recommends promoting 'Make in India' for traditional leather products to safeguard artisans, citing the Kolhapuri chappals imitation case

A parliamentary panel has recommended that the government should take proactive measures to promote traditional Indian leather products under ‘Make in India’ banner to help them achieve global recognition and prevent their imitation by international brands, as in the recent case of Kolhapuri chappals.

 

India’s leather industry is highly labour intensive, generating employment for over 4.42 million people, with 40 per cent of them being women.

 

“The Committee recommends that the department take proactive measures to promote the ‘Make in India’ brand for traditional Indian leather products. This will help gain global recognition for these products, safeguard the rights of local artisans, and prevent their imitation or misuse by international brands as was reported in the case of Kolhapuri chappals,” the parliamentary standing committee on commerce said.

   

Italian luxury fashion label Prada’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection featured models wearing footwear resembling Kolhapuri chappals during Milan Fashion Week in June. It didn’t credit India as the source of inspiration. 

 

However, in July, a team from the luxury brand visited Maharashtra’s Kolhapur to understand the craft of making Kolhapuri footwear.

 

The panel also recommended that the ‘Focus Product Scheme for Footwear & Leather Sectors,’ announced in the Union Budget, should be finalised and implemented at the earliest with “unambiguous and practical guidelines”.

 

“The scheme should take a complete view of the sector by supporting all parts of the value chain, including components, design, and machinery for both leather and non-leather footwear. To make the scheme more effective, the department should set up regular reviews, encourage better coordination between agencies and applicants, and create a support system to address challenges faced during implementation,” the report said.

 

The committee also suggested leveraging existing free trade agreements (FTAs) with Japan, Australia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and ASEAN to increase export of leather and leather products while also prioritising new trade agreements with key markets such as the European Union (EU).

 

The Export Promotion Mission (EPM) announced in the Union Budget earlier this year’s scheme can play a pivotal role in undertaking large-scale export promotion activities in major markets and exploring potential markets, the report said.