Leather is a prominent industry in India. The main sectors from which its demand is derived are fashion, footwear, furniture, interiors, and automotive. While Indian leather totals up to 13 percent of the world’s total production of skins, around 10 percent of the world’s footwear production also comes from India. India’s leather industry is bestowed with skilled manpower, innovative technology, increasing industry compliance to international environmental standards, and the support of allied industries.
The major production centers for leather and leather products in India are located in the States of:
- Tamil Nadu – Chennai, Ambur, Ranipet, Vaniyambadi, Vellore, Pernambut, Trichy, Dindigul and Erode
- West Bengal – Kolkata
- Uttar Pradesh – Kanpur, Agra, Noida, Saharanpur
- Maharashtra – Mumbai
- Punjab – Jallandhar
- Karnataka – Bangalore
- Andhra Pradesh – Hyderabad
- Haryana – Ambala, Gurgaon, Panchkula, Karnal, and Faridabad
- Delhi
- Madhya Pradesh – Dewas
- Kerala – Calicut and Ernakulam/Cochin
- Rajasthan; Jaipur
- Jammu & Kashmir
Leather exports
Leather is one of the most widely traded items in the world. Leather exports from India comprise raw-hide skins, finished leather, leather goods, leather garments, leather footwear component, saddlery, and harnesses. India is the second-largest exporter of leather garments and the third-largest exporter of saddlery and harness in the world.
In India, the leather is prepared from the raw-hide skin of different animals like buffalo, goats, and sheep. Majorly, buffalo skin and goatskin are used to make leather products that are exported to other countries. It is recorded that from total leather exports 40 percent of buffalo and 30 percent of goat rawhide skins are used for leather.
As per the official data, the exports of leather and leather products for April-Jun 2018 have touched USD 1420 million.