Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal while addressing the Council for Leather Exports (CLE) National Export Excellence Awards 2024-25 in New Delhi on 6 July 2026 urged Indian leather and footwear industry to target at least $15 billion in exports over the next 5 to 6 years, or even earlier, by making the most of new Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), expanding into new markets and improving quality, design, branding, sustainability and scale.
The minister said India’s leather and footwear industry currently exports goods worth around $4-4.5 billion and has the potential to achieve 3 times that level. He urged exporters and manufacturers to think bigger and set ambitious targets for the coming years.
“If I was in your shoes, or in your leather shoes, if I may say so, I would not aspire for anything less than a 3x outcome in the next 5 to 6 years.”
– Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India
Goyal said the government has already created the conditions needed for the sector to achieve stronger growth. He said India has high-quality products, skilled artisans, cobblers, workers and experienced industry leaders who have the ability to think big, dream big and achieve big.
He said India’s recently concluded FTAs are opening the doors to 38 developed countries, creating fresh opportunities for the leather and footwear industry. He urged the sector to prepare itself to make the maximum use of these agreements and the new markets becoming available.
He said leather offers opportunities well beyond footwear, covering products such as bags, wallets, horse saddles, jackets, clothing and apparel. He added that very few industries have such a wide range of applications.
“The sky is the limit when it comes to the potential of your industry.”
– Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India
He also said the Export Promotion Mission is ready to provide every possible support to the leather industry. This includes helping companies organise overseas business delegations, participate in international exhibitions and expand their presence in global markets.
He noted that the industry has an exhibition scheduled in India in September and encouraged it to organise an exhibition every month in one or another developed country to capture new business opportunities.
The minister also asked exporters to make better use of the Export Promotion Mission for warehousing support, overseas delegations and exhibitions. He assured that such proposals would receive government support and said micro and small enterprises would also be included.
He encouraged the industry to come forward with fresh ideas on how businesses and the government can work together to take Indian leather products to more countries.
He also suggested exploring overseas warehouses similar to Bharat Mart in Dubai and hiring warehouses in other developed countries to support just-in-time deliveries for global buyers.
He said the world is increasingly looking towards India for high-quality, sustainable and competitively priced products. According to him, partner countries see India as a trusted trading partner and are keen to expand business with Indian companies.
Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Goyal said, “We can become a global champion in leather and footwear exports by leveraging research and development and our traditional craftsmanship with modern technology.”
He said the leather industry has the opportunity to achieve much greater success by following this vision.
Goyal said leather-making is a 7,000 year old tradition in India with evidence dating back to the Indus Valley Civilisation. He added that the story of leather and footwear is closely linked with the story of Bharat.
He urged the industry to take pride in India’s artisans and craftsmen while continuing to build a stronger global presence through high-quality leather products.
Congratulating the winners of the National Export Excellence Awards, Goyal asked exporters to see themselves not only as exporters but also as ambassadors of Brand India.
He said every exporter contributes to job creation and helps improve the lives of people across the country.
