Kanpur: As many as 123 leather exporters were felicitated with the Regional Export Excellence Awards for 2022-23 and 2023-24 at a function held here on Saturday.The speaker of the UP Legislative Assembly, Satish Mahana, attended the event as chief guest and presented the awards in recognition of outstanding performance across categories such as finished leather, leather goods, garments, footwear, footwear components, gloves, and saddlery and harness.Special awards were also conferred on women entrepreneurs, startups and brand creators, highlighting efforts to promote inclusivity, innovation and entrepreneurship in the sector.Addressing the gathering, Mahana said such recognitions reflect the dedication and resilience of exporters. He noted that the Kanpur region continues to play a key role in strengthening India’s position as a global leader in leather products.Regional chairman (Central), Council for Leather Exports, Yadvendra Sachan said the awards aim to promote excellence, innovation, sustainability and global competitiveness.CLE vice-chairman Mukhtarul Amin lauded exporters for their resilience amid global challenges and said the initiative encourages innovation, digital transformation and support for MSMEs and emerging entrepreneurs. He highlighted that India’s leather and footwear industry currently records annual exports of around USD 5 billion and urged exporters to leverage opportunities arising from recent Free Trade Agreements.
