Raw Materials Sourcing Meet on 1st February 2017 at Chennai
No.CLE/MRU/Sourcing Meet/2017 Dec 15, 2017
To
All Members of Council
Dear Members,
Sub : Raw Materials Sourcing Meet on 1st February 2017 at Chennai
As you are kindly aware that the Indian Leather Sector has been identified as one of the Focus Sectors under the Make in India Programme launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.
With an annual turnover of over US$ 17.66 billion, the export of leather and leather products increased manifold over the past decades and touched US$ 5.67 billion during 2016-17, recording a Cumulative Annual Growth Rate of about 3.09%. As per the current export trend, the export of leather and leather products has registered a positive growth of around 2.41% during April-Sept 2017 as compared to April-Sept 2016.
Under the Make in India programme, the Indian Leather Sector has been set an ambitious turnover target of US$ 23.47 Billion to be achieved by 2019-20. Enhancing the tanning and production capacity is the need of the hour to achieve the target which in turn depends solely on the availability of raw hides/skins, wet blue, crust leather etc.
Keeping in view the Target fixed by the Government, it is estimated that the leather industry requires about 5 billion sq.ft of leather to meet the production demand. Towards achieving the target, there is an urgent need to look out for new avenues from where the raw materials such as raw hides & skins, wet blue/crust, semi-processed leathers etc. can be sourced and imported into India. In fact, India’s import of raw hides/skins and leather has been increasing from US$ 472.60 million in 2010-11 to US$ 609.59 million in 2016-17, growing at a CAGR of 4.33% in the last seven years, indicating thereby the increasing demand for raw materials from overseas, as the same cannot be met by domestically considering live stock population and existing animal husbandry practices within the country. Raw hides/skins and leather accounts for about 50% of India’s total imports leather and leather products.
Hence the Council, with a view to strengthen the raw material base is organizing for the first time, a Sourcing Meet between International Suppliers of Raw Materials (Raw Hides/Skins, Semi Finished and Finished Leather) and Indian Importers of Raw Material & Manufacturers of Leather Products including Footwear, on 1st February 2018 at Hotel ITC Grand Chola, Chennai from 1.00 pm to 8.00 pm.
The Council has sent invitations to Leather Associations in abroad interested in selling the raw material/leather to India requesting their support to bring the Suppliers to attend the Sourcing Meet. Besides, we have also sought the support of the Indian Missions in this regard.
We expect to have the participation of 25 to 30 Overseas Suppliers of Raw Hides & Skins, Wet-blue, crust, etc in the said Sourcing Meet.
Members interested to meet the International Raw Material Suppliers are requested to Pre-Register by filling up the enclosed Form and forward the same to CLE.
Members may kindly note that the entry is Free and Open to all Members.
With regards
Yours sincerely
R Ramesh Kumar
Executive Director