India Can Be a Trusted Global Hub for Footwear, Leather: Piyush Goyal

• Footwear and leather exports grew 25% to $5.7B in FY25.
• Export restrictions and CLRI testing requirements have been removed.
• The sector employs 42 lakh people and aims to boost global competitiveness.

Recently, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal presided over a stakeholder consultation with the footwear and leather sector to look into enhancing quality standards and improving global competitiveness.

India's leather and non-leather footwear exports grew at a rate of nearly 25% during FY25, reaching US$5.7 billion. The sector is expected to go above US$6.5 billion in FY26 as demand for both developed and developing countries of all sorts has been strong, according to the Council for Leather Exports (CLE).

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Currently there are about 42 lakh workers in the sector and the total turnover is approximately US$19 billion, which includes US$5 billion in exports. To enable this growth trajectory, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) lifted key procedural constraints on the export of value-added leather goods. Now, exporters can export Finished Leather, Wet Blue Leather and EI Tanned Leather from any port or Inland Container Depot (ICD), whereas previously exports were tied to particular ports.

They have also lifted the requirement that exporters have their finished leather product tested/certified by the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI). These reforms are anticipated to reduce compliance, improve ease of doing business, and improve India's competitiveness in the global leather value chain, while still providing transparency and commitment to quality standards through regular customs controls.

Piyush Goyal on his X social media platform stated, "Special emphasis was laid on upgrading testing infrastructure, promoting innovation and aligning with international benchmarks to make India a quality-conscious and globally trusted manufacturing hub".