Footwear and leather industry not only major contributor to economy but also symbol of India's craftsmanship: Piyush Goyal

New Delhi [India], December 19 : Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal stated that the country's footwear and leather industry is not only a significant contributor to the economy but also a symbol of skilled craftsmanship and innovation.
The Minister stated this during his address at the National Export Excellence Awards 2023-24 organised by the Council for Leather Exports (CLE) on Wednesday.
He added, "These awards reflect the dedication of our exporters and their efforts in making India a global leader in leather products."
Goyal also lauded the exporters for their contributions and urged the industry leaders to work together to achieve even greater milestones. He praised the leather industry for adopting high-quality standards and for their commitment to making Brand India represent the quality the country stands for.
The Minister added that the industry must become more quality-conscious to achieve greater global competitiveness.
He urged the industry to scale their production keeping an element of sustainability in it as well. The leather industry must achieve zero pollution in its production with proper treatment plants. With economies of scale India's competitiveness can be better than the rest of the world. Demand of India will itself help the industry achieve large economies of scale, he added.
As per the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, the footwear and leather industry, has contributed significantly to India's economy, with an annual export of about USD 5 billion. The sector is also a major labour-intensive sector, providing employment to economically weaker sections, particularly women.
Over the years, Council for Leather Exports (CLE) has spearheaded initiatives to promote exports, enhance global competitiveness, and encourage sustainable practices. CLE recognized the excellence and achievements of India's footwear and leather export industry at the prestigious National Export Excellence Awards 2023-24.
The National Export Excellence Award event is organized every year by Council for Leather Exports, an Export Promotion Council sponsored by Ministry of Commerce and Industry, to recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of Indian exporters in the Footwear & Leather industry.
The awards aim to promote excellence, innovation, and sustainability in the industry, while encouraging exporters to strive for global competitiveness.
The awards are designed to ensure inclusivity, recognizing exporters across different scales and product segments. They are distributed across the export slabs and within these slabs, awards were presented in multiple product segments. Special recognition is also given to exporters excelling in Overall Exports, covering all leather and non-leather categories.