Why Italian Leather Chemical Company Sommer Chose to Exhibit at IILF 2026 After 25 Years in India

Italian leather chemicals company Sommer made its first appearance at the 39th India International Leather Fair (IILF) 2026 despite being active in the Indian market for nearly 25 years.

CLE Sets $50 Billion Turnover Target for Indian Leather & Footwear Industry by FY2029-30

We have set a $50 billion turnover target for the industry by FY2029-30. This includes a projected domestic turnover of $36 billion and an export turnover of $14 billion.

Rwanda $5.7 Million Tannery Park Project Faces Relocation After SEZ Withdrawal

Rwanda’s planned tannery park will no longer come up in the Bugesera Special Economic Zone after the new zone operator declined to host the project.

MUNO Makes India Debut at IILF and Opens 2 New Labs in Kolkata and Kanpur

MUNO has officially entered the Indian leather market, making its first appearance at the 39th India International Leather Fair (IILF) 2026 after separating from Stahl and becoming an independent company starting in January 2026. The company used the event as a launchpad to introduce its solutions and connect directly with Indian customers and partners.

Indian Leather and Footwear Industry Delegation Meets Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal

A delegation from the Indian leather and footwear industry met Hon’ble Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal and Hon’ble Minister of State Shri Jitin Prasada in New Delhi on Feb 11, 2026.

RISE Conclave 2026 on 14 and 15 Feb 2026 Set to Bring Research Industry and Startups Together in Chennai

The conclave carries strategic importance for India’s Viksit Bharat vision. The forum is designed to align research, industrial capacity and entrepreneurial innovation with major national missions, including Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India, Digital India and Startup India.

I Asked 3 Key Questions to CLE on Indian Leather Industry’s $14 Billion Export Goal by 2030

During the 39th IILF 2026, Council for Leather Exports (CLE) - India, held a media conference on Jan 31st.

After the conference, I got a chance to speak with Mr. Selvam IAS, Executive Director, CLE & asked him 3 questions that have been on my mind for a while now.

[Question 1]
CLE announced its targeting $14 billion in leather, leather products & footwear exports by 2030 (up from $5-5.5 billion currently)

So i asked him which sector within the Indian Leather Industry will be the major contributor to this growth?

His answer: Footwear
(both non leather & leather footwear will be the major drivers of this ambitious target)

[Question 2]
Now here's something that's been bothering me for years.

Back in 2012-13, India's finished leather sector alone contributed between $1 to $1.1 billion in exports.

But if you look at the last 4 financial years?

Finished leather exports haven't even crossed $500 million mark & has been stuck between $400 to 450 million.

I asked him why has finished leather export value dropped by more than 50% in the last decade?

His explanation:
"Arshad, you have to understand the global market demand has now shifted from finished leather to crust leather. Back in those days, finished leather demand was very high. Now, the majority of demand is for crust leather."

He also added that during the last budget, Govt of India removed the 20% export duty on crust leather, which will help boost this segment.

[Question 3]
So naturally, my final question was, can we now expect leather (finished & crust) exports to cross the $500 million mark & grow further after this policy change?

His response: "Absolutely, it will."

So What Does This Mean:
→ Footwear (both leather & non leather) will drive India's leather export growth in the coming years

→ The shift from finished leather to crust leather is a global trend driven by changing buyer preferences

I can also confirm this because last time when I was in Italy, Spain & Portugal, most leather traders that import leather from India were interested in importing goat/sheep crust in particularly these 3 colors: black, white & beige & they wanted to finish it in their own country.

→ Policy support like removal of crust export duty could help revive growth particularly in the leather segment

& he also mentioned that CLE has requested the Govt of India to wave of 10% import duty on crust & finished leather.

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