New Delhi – In a significant move to enhance the productivity, quality, and global competitiveness of India’s leather and footwear sector, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced new policy measures during the Budget 2025 presentation on February 1, 2025.
In a move welcomed by industry stakeholders, the government has removed the 20% export duty on crust leather and the 10% import duty on wet blue leather and made it NIL.
“The leather and footwear sector wholeheartedly thanks Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Minister for Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal, and Hon’ble Minister of Finance Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman for announcing the Focus Product Scheme for our industry in the Union Budget 2025-26.”
Council for Leather Exports (CLE)
This policy shift is expected to revitalize the tanning sector and promote the export of value-added leather products, making Indian manufacturers more competitive in the global market.
The newly introduced measures are anticipated to generate employment opportunities for 22 Lakh (2.2 million) people while driving industry revenues to new heights.
The financial projections from these reforms include:
- Over ₹4 lakh crore ($46.12 billion USD) in total revenue generation
- Exports worth ₹1.11 lakh crore ($13 billion USD) in the leather and footwear sector
