Kanpur: India’s footwear manufacturing strengths and investment potential were highlighted at the Vietnam Footwear Summit held in Ho Chi Minh City with Mukhtarul Amin, vice-chairman of the Council for Leather Exports (CLE), representing India at the event.Amin said India is the world’s second-largest producer and consumer of footwear. He said India produces around three billion pairs of footwear annually, compared to domestic consumption of nearly 2.86 billion pairs.He said India’s vast domestic market and Vietnam’s strong export capabilities offer considerable scope for collaboration between the footwear industries of the two countries. He outlined opportunities for joint ventures, technical collaborations and the setting up of manufacturing units in India in both the leather and non-leather footwear sectors.Referring to India’s free trade agreements (FTAs), Amin said FTA partner countries, excluding India, represent a consumer market of more than 1.5 billion people across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Oceania. He said these markets offer significant opportunities for manufacturing and exports from India, while the European Union, with around 450 million consumers, represents an important market.Amin also showcased India’s traditional craftsmanship and heritage of handmade footwear at the summit. , He said Indian craftsmanship has established a distinctive identity in the global footwear market.He invited industry representatives, manufacturers and buyers attending the summit to visit India for the Bharat Footwear & Leather Expo (BFLEX), scheduled to be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on March 15 and 16, 2027.
