The Indian leather industry is one sector that is all set to poise in growth. The Indian footwear industry is the second largest producer after China of which the Indian Leather industry maintains a great level of prominence in the view of massive potential in growth, employment and exports. The leather industry is divided in different segments, namely, tanning & finishing, footwear & footwear components, leather garments, leather goods including saddler & harness, etc. As per the latest census and survey, India ranks first among the major livestock holding countries in the world. It stands on the sixth position, with respect to 48 million sheeps in the country. These four species provide the basic raw material for the leather industry. Also since the beginning of the decade, it has shown tremendous potential for growth as far as exports in concerned. Because of a leveled specialization in tanning and finishing of buffalo hides, which is major input for saddler industry, Kanpur is the only centre in India for harness leather where it is manufactured.
The major production centers in India for Leather footwear industry are Chennai, Ranipet, and Ambur in Tamil Nadu, Mumbai in Maharashtra, Kanpur in U.P, Jalandhar in Ludhiana, Agra, Delhi, Punjab, Karnal, Kolkata, Sonepat, Faridabad, Pune, Calicut and Ernakulum. About 1.10 million are engaged in the footwear manufacturing industry.
