The government of West Bengal is examining the possibility of setting up a leathergoods export park. It will house manufacturers of leather products such as wallets, handbags, industrial leather gloves and footwear.

This announcement was made by state finance minister Nirumpam Sen earlier this week while inaugurating the first display-cum-marketing centre and office of the Council for Leather Exports (CLE) in the eastern region in Calcutta.

Sen said the state would offer the required land for the export park given the decision of the Union government to fund its infrastructural requirement. West Bengal has a share of 58% or Rs1,125 crore of the exports of wallets, handbags and industrial leather gloves from India. The ambitious Calcutta Leather Complex project, one of the largest relocating projects in the world, is expected to start operation in October.

NB Rs1 = US$0.02

1 crore = 10 million