What are the leather products manufactured in India?

The leather industry in India is the oldest manufacturing industry and holds an important place in the Indian economy. This industry focuses on employment generation and provides jobs to around 4.4 million people. With consistent high export earnings, this industry is one of the top 10 forex earners for India.

India is among the best locations for the leather Industry because raw materials are available here in abundance. 11% of the world’s goat and sheep population and 20% of the world’s buffalo and cattle population exist in India, and it is the most important raw material in this industry.

Leather Goods Industry in India

The leather goods industry has a share of around 20 per cent in the leather industry of India, and the average growth rate has been around 11 per cent over the last five years. Leather products manufactured in India include handbags, bags, wallets, gloves, industrial gloves, travel ware, belts, sports goods, etc. The leather goods sector has a wide range of products, from personal leather accessories to designer collections.

Indian Saddler Industry

In India, the saddler industry was set up in the 19th century primarily to serve the needs of the police and the military. Now, this industry has expanded to over 150 units in the organised sector, and these units are majorly export-oriented. Kanpur is the major production centre of saddlery products in India and accounts for 95 per cent of the total saddlery exports in India.

Other leather products manufactured in India include leather browbands, leather bridles, western saddles, etc. These products have a huge demand in countries like the USA, Germany, Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, France and New Zealand.

Leather Garment Industry in India

The leather garment industry holds a prominent seat in the leather sector of India. Products like long coats, jackets, pants, shirts, garments for children, biker jackets, and industrial leather garments are manufactured in India. Majorly these products are exported to countries like Germany.

Leather Footwear Industry in India 

India produces around 700 million pairs of shoes per annum and is the second-largest footwear manufacturer in the world. Footwear has a share of 18 per cent of the total leather exports. Indian leather manufacturers produce and export several varieties of shoes like casuals, moccasins, dress shoes, sports shoes, sandals and booties. Most of the variety of shoes are exported to the USA and Europe. The footwear industry in India has a great potential to attract investment on a large scale, and after the footwear industry, leather products such as belts, wallets, handbags, etc., can also attract lucrative investments. 

Production Centres in India

The production centres for leather products manufactured in India are spread across various cities. Kolkata, Ambur, Chennai, Kanpur, Bangalore, Jalandhar, Hyderabad, Ranipet, Trichy, and Delhi are the major production centres of India. 

The Indian leather industry is blessed with the huge availability of raw materials. A huge population of cattle, goats, and buffalo is present in India. According to the latest census, India holds the top rank globally in livestock holding. This livestock provides the raw materials required for the leather industry.

Reasons For the High Growth Potential Of the Leather Industry

 The reasons which make this industry worth investing in are as follows:

• Abundance availability of leather
• Easy access to raw materials
• Attractive government policies
• Cheap and skilled labour in India
• Skill development and capacity building
• Rapid improvement in modernisation and expansion
• Tax concessions provided by the government 
• 100 per cent FDI approved through automatic route
• De-licensed leather industry of India, which supports expansion on modern lines.

Top Leather Companies in India

Below mentioned are some of the top leather companies in India: 

• Liberty Shoe Ltd. 
• Metro Brands Ltd. 
• Bata India Ltd. 
• Bhartiya International Ltd. 
• Metro Brands Ltd. 
• Lakhani Armaan group
• Relaxo Footwear Ltd. 

Challenges Faced By the Leather Industry 

Following are the challenges which are often faced by leather manufacturers. 

• Ban on the slaughtering of cattle:

The government of India banned the slaughtering of cattle due to their sacred status. This led to manufacturers waiting for cattle to die owing to natural causes such as diseases and old age. Also, cattle with diseases cannot make quality leather.  

• The limited supply of chrome salts: 

Owing to the limited supply of chrome salts, which are used in vegetable-dyed leather, the producers are facing problems in manufacturing leather products. Eventually, producers started using a substitute for this, a chemical dye, which got banned by the government of India. 

• Other reasons: 

Various other reasons, such as compliance requirements, non-tariff barriers and effluent management, halt the growth of leather industries in India. 

Conclusion 

The leather manufacturing industry provides employment to around 4.4 million people in India. Apart from employment generation, the leather industry is among the top sectors which bring in forex reserves to India.

The numerous leather products manufactured in India include saddles, garments, leather goods, and footwear. Some of the leather goods include bags, wallets, gloves, travel ware, belts, sports goods, leather bridles, western saddles,  long coats, jackets, pants, shirts, moccasins, dress shoes, sports shoes, sandals and many more.

India has the potential to attract lucrative investments in the leather industry, and the major reasons are the abundant availability of leather, easy access to raw materials, attractive government policies, and cheap and skilled labour.