Union Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal has called on India’s leather and footwear industry to increase employment to one crore (10 million) people and take a bigger role in managing the country’s leather development centres. He made the appeal while addressing the Council for Leather Exports (CLE) National Export Excellence Awards 2024-25 in New Delhi on 6 July 2026.
The minister said the leather sector currently employs more than 40 lakh (4 million) people and asked whether the industry could increase that number to one crore (10 million).
He said the target is achievable as the sector expands and benefits from economies of scale.
Goyal also urged the industry to closely examine India’s leather institutes and development centres.
He noted that several companies are already exporting products worth ₹200 crore (~$20 million) to ₹300 crore (~$30 million) and questioned why each large company could not take responsibility for one of the country’s 12 leather development centres or campuses.
The minister said the government is willing to hand over the management of these centres entirely to the industry so they can be used to train workers according to industry requirements.
He also suggested another option of reducing the number of centres from 12 to 3 or 4 so that available resources can be used more effectively.
According to Shri Goyal, resources have been spread too thinly across too many centres, making several of them inefficient and less relevant.
He said the decision should be taken by the industry because the centres exist to serve the sector.
“The Government was a listening government and wanted stakeholders to participate in decision-making.”
– Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India
He also said the government wants the industry to decide whether the centres should be managed, merged or restructured.
He said the government’s role is to provide support and create an enabling environment, while the industry should take maximum advantage of these institutions.
The minister urged companies to identify which centres are useful and consult both large and small stakeholders before making decisions.
He also encouraged the industry to increase student enrolment so the campuses can produce a larger pool of skilled workers for businesses.
The minister also highlighted the contribution of the leather sector to employment, noting that around 40% of the workforce consists of women.
He urged companies to reflect on how they care for their employees and improve the overall working environment.
He said such measures may appear small but have the potential to transform the way companies operate.
Congratulating the award winners, Shri Goyal said exporters should consider themselves not only as exporters but also as ambassadors of Brand India.
He added that every exporter contributes to job creation and helps improve the lives of people across the country.
