India’s leather industry is one of the largest in the world with annual production of two billion square feet. It has grown 13% annually since 2010 and generated $6.5 billion in revenue in 2015. Germany and the U.S. are the top destinations for Indian leather goods, each constituting 12% of Indian exports. Leather is among the top ten exports from the country. India accounts for a tenth of the world’s leather production with over two million workers. The country also has 21% of the world’s cattle and buffalo populations as well as 11% of the world’s goat and sheep populations.
The majority of leather production occurs in India’s southern and eastern regions. Cities known for leather processing include Agra, Chennai, Jalandhar, and Kanpur in addition to major urban centers such as Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi.
Footwear accounts for 45% of India’s exports, making it the second largest footwear maker in the world, producing 2.1 billion pairs annually. India produces for major U.S. brands such as Ann Taylor, Nike, Calvin Klein, Reebok, Timberland, Esprit, and Sioux. European brands such as Italy’s Versace, the U.K.’s C&J Clark, Sweden’s H&M and Bally, and Denmark’s Ecco utilize Indian-made leather for their footwear.
Accessories account for a quarter of the country’s leather exports. India is the fifth largest exporter of leather accessories with annual production of 63 million leather articles. These goods are sold by U.S. brands Coach, Guess, Gap, Levis, Banana Republic, and American Eagle Outfitters. European brands such as Italy’s Prada and France’s Yves Saint Laurent also sell Indian-made luxury leather accessories.
India is the world’s second largest producer and third largest exporter of leather clothing, producing 16 million pieces annually. These articles of clothing are sold by Tommy Hilfiger, Abercrombie & Fitch, Cole Haan, Kenneth Cole, Nautica, and DKNY as well as Spain’s Mango, Italy’s Giorgio Armani, and France’s Pierre Cardin.
The Indian government’s Foreign Trade Policy implements a Special Focus Initiative that emphasizes increasing the country’s exports. Under this policy, there is no import duty for leather garments and components, and the re-export of unsuitable imports such as raw hides and skins is permitted.
