The Business Bytes
TBB BUREAU
MAINPURI (UP), AUG 29, 2022
While calling upon the youth to look for lucrative career in the upcoming leather Start-up ecosystem, Union Minister for Science & Technology Jitendra Singh on Monday said that leather industry in India has exhibited consistency in high export earnings and it is one of the top ten foreign exchange earners for the country.
Addressing senior scientists and officials of CSIR-CLRI (Central Leather Research Institute), Kanpur and College students at Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh, Singh said India’s leather industry is offering world-class opportunities for StartUp and entrepreneurship.
The Minister also offered seed funding to prospective Start-ups and innovative entrepreneurs from Technology Development Board under Department of Science and Technology at the centre, which he is heading.
Singh assured the students and youth of Mainpuri and adjoining districts that CSIR-CLRI (Central Leather Research Institute), Kanpur will be instructed to organise specific activities like Survey of leather and allied industries, Practical demonstrations, Trade counselling, Vocational and Tailor-made Training Programmes, Consultancy Services, Students’ Internship at regular intervals for promoting leather start-ups and businesses.
He pointed out that the Uttar Pradesh Government under Yogi Adityanath has identified leather goods as an ODOP (One District One Product) for Agra & Kanpur districts and formulated strategic interventions for development of these clusters. He said, Uttar Pradesh is trying hard to create an enabling ecosystem of export growth and support exporters in scaling up exports of leather goods from Uttar Pradesh. The Minister said, this will open up new opportunities for the entrepreneurs and youth of Mainpuri and adjoining districts.
Singh said, India is the second largest producer of footwear, second largest exporter of Leather Garments, fifth largest exporter of Leather Goods and third Largest Exporter of Saddlery and Harness items. The global leather goods market size is valued at $424 billion in 2022 and expected to reach USD 744 billion by 2030, he said adding that India must tap the huge potential in the global leather pie.
Only youth with innovative thinking can fulfil the rising demand for comfortable, trendy, and fancy leather apparel, footwear, and accessories as leather products are often seen as a status symbol and provide a stylish look, said the Union Minister.
CLRI Regional Centre – Kanpur is one of the four extension centres of CLRI. It was established in 1963 to benefit the Leather and Leather products industries in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The centre is fully equipped with Chemical, Physical & Eco testing Laboratory. This centre has a pilot Tannery which provides varied services to the industry.
