The Council for Leather Exports (CLE) highlighted India’s footwear manufacturing capabilities and investment opportunities at the recent Vietnam Footwear Summit, held from September 16 to 18 at Mai House Saigon Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Ramesh Juneja, Chairman and Mukhtarul Amin, Vice Chairman, CLE represented the council at the summit, where they discussed opportunities for closer cooperation between the Indian and Vietnamese footwear industries.
ALSO READ: Vietnam Leather and Footwear Exports Rise 2.4% to $19.54 Billion in First 8 Months of 2026
Addressing the summit on September 17, Amin presented India’s footwear and leather industry capabilities and invited Vietnamese companies to explore investment, joint ventures and technical cooperation in India.
The presentation highlighted the complementary strengths of the 2 countries with Vietnam’s experience in global footwear supply chains and India’s large domestic market, workforce and expanding manufacturing capabilities.
According to industry figures presented by CLE, India produced 3 billion pairs of footwear in 2024, while domestic consumption reached 2.858 billion pairs and exports stood at 266 million pairs. Vietnam was highlighted as the world’s 2nd largest footwear exporter by volume.
CLE also highlighted the growth of India’s footwear exports. Leather footwear exports increased from $1.486 billion in 2020-21 to $1.947 billion in 2025-26 while non-leather footwear exports rose from $194 million to $262 million during the same period.
The council presented opportunities for Vietnamese companies to invest in leather and non-leather footwear manufacturing in India, as well as in soles, uppers, moulds, adhesives, accessories and machinery. Technical cooperation in product engineering, design, workforce training, automation, robotics, artificial intelligence and digital product development was also highlighted.
The council also highlighted India’s trade agreements and economic partnerships with markets including the UK, EFTA and the European Union as part of the country’s wider export opportunities.
The presentation also highlighted India’s institutional ecosystem supporting the sector, including the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI), Central Footwear Training Institutes, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and Leather Sector Skill Council (LSSC).
CLE further showcased traditional Indian footwear and leather craftsmanship, including Kolhapuri chappals, Rajasthan’s mojari, Gujarat’s Bharwadi Desi Joda, Shantiniketan leather bags and leather toys from Indore, highlighting their potential to connect Indian artisan skills with international fashion and luxury markets.
At the summit, Juneja and Amin also invited international footwear companies to attend the Bharat Footwear and Leather Expo (BFLEX), scheduled for March 15-16, 2027 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Organised by CLE the sourcing event will cover footwear, non-leather footwear, leather goods, leather and components.
