Leather industry must become quality conscious to achieve greater global competitiveness: Shri Goyal

Council for Leather Exports presents National Export Excellence Awards

India’s footwear and leather industry is not only a significant contributor to our economy but also a symbol of our skilled craftsmanship and innovation. This was stated by Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal during his address at the National Export Excellence Awards 2023-24 organised by the Council for Leather Exports (CLE) here today. Speaking at the occasion, he said that these awards reflect the dedication of our exporters and their efforts in making India a global leader in leather products.

Addressing the event, Shri Goyal 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 make Brand India represent the quality the country stands for. The Minister further 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. 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.    

Shri Rajendra K Jalan, Chairman of CLE at the event said that these awards celebrate the spirit of nation’s exporters who have excelled despite challenges. They symbolize not just success but also the innovation and sustainability that define India’s leather industry. CLE remains committed to supporting the industry and driving its growth on the global stage.

While addressing the event, Shri Santosh Sarangi, Director General of Foreign Trade, emphasised that the National Export Excellence Awards go beyond recognizing achievements; they serve as a catalyst for the industry to adopt a forward-looking vision. He highlighted that these awards aim to encourage exporters to embrace sustainable and ethical practices, drive innovation and digital transformation, and support MSMEs and new entrepreneurs in enhancing their global footprint.

The footwear and leather industry, has contributed significantly to India’s economy, with an annual export of about US$ 5 billion. The sector is also a major labour-intensive sector, providing employment to economically weaker sections, particularly women. 

Over the years, 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.

AWARD CATEGORIES AND WINNERS IN THE OVERALL CATEGORY FOR 2023-24

1. 1^st Place, Apache Footwear India Pvt Ltd, Andhra Pradesh
2. 2^nd Place, Mirza International Limited, Kanpur
3. 3^rd Place, Superhouse Limited, Kanpur

Spotlight on Innovation and Inclusivity

Two unique award categories drew significant attention:

1. Brand Creation Awards: Exporters who successfully introduced and sustained their own brands in international markets were honored. The awards acknowledged the role of branding in enhancing India’s global competitiveness.
2. CLE Women Entrepreneur Awards: This award celebrated the outstanding contributions of women entrepreneurs in the leather export sector, emphasizing CLE’s commitment to gender inclusivity and empowerment.

The export award event also highlighted CLE’s significant role in advancing the Indian footwear and leather industry.

Export competitiveness urged through quality standards and sustainability to boost global market access and industry scale. The Council for Leather Exports' National Export Excellence Awards promote export competitiveness by encouraging higher quality standards, sustainable production (including proper effluent treatment and zero pollution targets), brand creation, and support for MSMEs and women entrepreneurs; the awards are structured across export slabs and product segments to recognise overall exports and to catalyse innovation, ethical practices, digital transformation, and scale-driven global market access.