Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal, announced that India’s leather and footwear industry has the potential to increase employment from the current 40 lakh jobs to 1 crore jobs. He made this statement while opening the 8th India International Footwear Fair in Delhi.
Goyal emphasized that the industry can grow both in India and globally. “We have the world market to capture. We need self-confidence and an open mind to accept change,” he said.
He also mentioned that new Quality Control Orders (QCOs) will help stop the import of low-quality, cheap leather products, which will protect the Indian footwear industry from unfair competition. These QCOs will encourage Indian manufacturers to produce high-quality footwear, helping India become a leading global producer.
Regarding the QCO guidelines, Goyal said that retailers will have two years to sell their existing footwear stock after the order is applied. Additionally, small-scale fashion footwear manufacturing, up to 72,000 pairs, will not be subject to QCOs.
Goyal expressed confidence that India could become the top footwear market globally. Currently, India is the 2nd largest manufacturer and 9th largest exporter of footwear. He set a goal of reaching USD 50 billion in exports by 2030. He also noted that QCOs won’t apply to exports, but exporters must meet their clients’ quality standards.
The minister urged the industry to use Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with ASEAN and European countries to make Indian brands globally recognized. He also reassured that small and micro units under MSMEs would continue to be exempt from QCOs.
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