Several new initiatives announced at IILF

A number of new projects and partnerships were announced at the 19th India International Leather Fair (IILF) held in Chennai (Madras), January 31 - February 4. The projects are aimed at upgrading the Indian leather sector and include collaboration with CSIRO in Australia, the US giant DuPont and agreements with Italian companies. A collaborative project with CSIRO and the CLRI (Central Leather Research Institute) located in Chennai will aim to reduce the levels of salinity in tannery effluents. Also the CLRI have signed a collaborative programme with US conglomerate DuPont for the application of leather with Lycra for footwear applications in India. It was also announced that a leading Italian manufacturer have entered into a jv agreement with Tata International whose new facility in Chennai was commissioned at the end of January. Mondiale of Italy have also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Saba Group to build a plant in Pondicherry. Indian leather production is worth US$4.5 billion annually and is mostly consumed in the domestic market. Only 24% of India's total leather products are made with leather from India. The Indian tanning sector produces approximately 3.0% of the world market for finished leather according to CLE figures. Around 246 companies including 48 from 13 countries attended this year's IILF at the Chennai Trade Centre, Nandambakkam, Chennai. Italian companies were well represented at the show. A trade mission was organised by the Italian Trade Commission in collaboration with Regione Marche, one of the major footwear clusters in Italy, Piceno Promozione and EX.IT, an Italian export initiative. IILF is organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) in cooperation with the Council for Leather Exports (CLE) and several industry associations. The fair covered a net area of 4,290 sq m. It was officially inaugurated by S B Mookherjee, the Indian government minister of state for commerce. Exhibitors included manufacturers of leather, leather footwear, garments and leathergoods, footwear components, leather chemicals, leather machinery and footwear making equipment.