This presentation is made to showcase the Kolkata Leather Industry to the international importers/ buyers who will be interested to come and build their business network with the indian manufacturer. This presentation is all about speaking about the KOLKATA Leather Goods Cluster- the ultimate hub for leather goods sourcing.

1. &
Kolkata leather Cluster
Indian Leather Products
Association (ILPA)

2. West Bengal with its epicenter as Kolkata is one of the largest
producers and exporters of leather and leather products. From
finished leather to leather goods like bags, belts, wallets, leather
footwear, it has developed into a highly successful sourcing Hub for
the international high fashion brands. Kolkata leather goods sector
is unique in offering high quality products at the most affordable
prices and also offers a huge variety of finished leather quality.
The Kolkata leather industry consistently holds a prominent place
as one of the top foreign exchange earners for the country and
played an important role in the national as well as state economy.
60%of country’s leather goods (bags, purses, wallets) and 90% of
country’s industrial gloves are exported from Kolkata.
Calcutta Leather Cluster At a Glance
TheKolkataleatherclusterincludesthegeographicalboundariesofKolkata,suburbsaswellastheKolkataLeather
ComplexsituatedatBantala.
Kasba,Topsia,Tangra&Bantalaarethefocalpointsfortheleathergoodsandfootwearmanufacturingunits.
ManufacturingUnitsspecializinginindustrialglovesareprimarilylocatedatBeleghata.

3. Bengal Tanning Industries & National Tanning
Company Limited : The history of the West Bengal leather
industry dates back to 1910s when an enterprising gentleman named Mr.
B.M. Das, a graduate in Chemistry, started getting involved in the
tanning process of leather. Soon he established the Bengal Tanning
Industries at Kolkata. The British were quick to follow the trend and
imported machinery from England to start the National Tanning
Company Limited and started manufacturing finished leather. Prior to
this, mainly raw hides and skins were exported from Kolkata to
countries like Italy, Spain etc. Establishment of these two leather
processing units marked the beginning of export of finished leather from
Kolkata.
Bata Shoe Co. Pvt: Another important milestone in the leather
industry in West Bengal was the establishment of the Czech
company, Bata Shoe Co. Pvt. Ltd in 1931 by the pioneer of
footwear : Mr Thomas Bata. Bata was the first company to
manufacture footwear on a mass scale in India. It started
manufacturing shoes from Batanagar near Kolkata in 1936 and
subsequently Batanagar and Kolkata became the hub of all footwear
activities. Gradually the industry spread to other parts of the country
like Kanpur, Delhi, Agra and Chennai.
Year 1910
Year 1931

4. • In 1972-73, the formation of “The
Seetharamaiah Committee” saw the possibility
of export of value added leather products apart
from finished leather . This marked a significant
revolution in the Kolkata Leather industry. Large
number of leather goods manufacturing units
were established during this time and then there
was no looking back !
Year
1972-73
• Kolkata and its suburbs have developed
tremendously into a highly successful Leather &
Leather Goods Export Hub from India within a short
span of three decades.
• 60%of country’s leather goods (bags, purses, wallets)
and 90% of country’s industrial gloves are exported
from Kolkata.
Present
Years

5. During the 1980s, the Kolkata leather export industry was facing tough times with
high Excise duties and little infrastructural support.
To boost overall growth of the sector, an Association of Leather goods
manufacturers & exporters was being conceptualized.
In 1986, the first International Buyer Seller Meet “Leather Vision”
was organized in Park Hotel, Kolkata with the support of Council for Leather
Exports.(CLE)

6. And finally on a fateful day in 1987, seven young leaders of the Kolkata Leather
Goods Industry gathered at a tea stall in Central Kolkata, sipping their morning
tea, zeroed in on jointly forming the “INDIAN LEATHER PRODUCTS
ASSOCIATION” -- . The vision of these pioneers was to promote the Kolkata
Leather & Leather Goods Industry worldwide and engage more and more
international buyers with the Kolkata based Leather Goods manufacturers.
ILPA FOUNDER MEMBERS

7. KOLKATA Leather Industry ……….
Prominent Features :-
Easyavailabilityofgoodqualityrawmaterialsinconsiderablequantity.
Strongtanneryandleatherprocessingbase.
AvailabilityofthespecialsoftqualitycowNappaleatherthatmost
GermanBrandsprefer.
Ampleavailabilityofsoftriverwaterforprocessingofrawhides.
PresenceofsupportindustrieslikeLeatherChemicals,metalfittings,
ancillaryproducts.
Ampleavailabilityofskilledlabour.
Goodconnectivitythroughroad,seaportsandairports.

8. KOLKATA Leather Industry……….
Prominent Features :-
Progressivemindsetofexportersandinterestinnewtechnologyand
R&D.
Stateoftheartfactories, compliancewithinternationalstandards (SA-
8000,BSCI,REACH).
Presenceofreputededucationalinstitutionsfortrainingindesign,
manufacturingprocessesandtechnologyfurtherstrengthenstheskilled
workforceinthestate.
Specialattentiontoenvironmentalcompliances.
Dutyfreeimportofrawmaterialsformanufacturing offinishedproducts
meantforexportasperpresentForeignTradePolicy.

9. KOLKATA Leather Cluster- Sub sector
wise classification
Sub sector No. of Units
Tanneries 450
Leather goods 436
Leather footwear 230
Industrial gloves 42
Leather Garments 2
Total 1160

11. Finished Leather
Tanneries are LWG & ICEC
certified to meet the
international standards and
sustainability requirements
Currently about 450 tanneries
working in the Kolkata Leather
Complex, which is the Asia’s largest
Mega Leather Cluster.
Several tanneries from Kanpur
are expected to shift to Kolkata.
In the near future, 300 more
tanneries is expected to be
operating in Bantala.

12. Leather Goods:
Kolkata has exported US$ 804.34 million approx
worth of leather products in the year 2019-20.
More than 500 leather goods manufacturing
units operating in Kolkata & its suburbs. Main
clusters are : Kolkata Leather Complex (Bantala),
Kasba Industrial Estate, Udayan Industrial Estate,
Topsia Leather Cluster, Shilpanagan Industrial Estate etc.
 These units boast of state-of-the-art infrastructure maintaining
International Quality standards with ISO 9000 & 14000, SA-8000,
BSCI and REACH compliance.
 Multinational luggage maker Samsonite, fashion brand
Gucci, accessory and writing-major Pierre Cardin, watch
and fashion designer brand Guy Laroche, apparel major
La Martina, global leather goods major Le Tanneur and
UK-based leather accessories-maker Radley are some of
the big names that are regularly procuring products from
Kolkata.

13. Industrial Gloves
Industrial gloves from India is in great demand in the global market.
90% of industrial leather gloves are produced & exported from Kolkata
In the year 2019-20, Kolkata has exported Leather Gloves worth of
190.07 USD million.
Kolkata exports 12 million pairs of gloves annually.
A reputed exporter from Kolkata exports more than 8
million pairs of gloves annually and caters to 3% of
the world demand.
 Countries like Germany, France, UAE, Italy, USA,
Canada, Russia, Australia and Japan are the main
importers of industrial gloves from Kolkata.

14. Footwear
Bata India Ltd, one of the leading and the most popular
shoe brands in the country. It sells around 60 million shoes
and exports around 3 million footwear each year.
International shoe brands like Clarks, Hush Puppies and
Caterpillar are manufactured in Kolkata.
Currently the Kolkata leather industry leaders have embarked upon setting up a Mega Leather
Footwear Park at Kolkata Leather Complex with the active support of the Government of West
Bengal to cater the international demand for footwear .
Leather Garments
Few leather apparel manufacturing units supply leather
jackets, skirts, dresses & more to the largest & best known
retailers world wide.
These units are highly equipped with the latest
garmenting technologies & products are high quality &
competitively priced.
They have capacity to produce 4,00,000 garments annually.

15. Indian Leather Products Association represents the leather products sector primarily from
Kolkata and Chennai. Currently it has about 200 members in Kolkata & Chennai. It works
extensively for the overall development of the industry.
LPA Leather Goods Park: ILPA manages the ILPA Leather Goods Park, in the Kolkata Leather
Complex. About 100 prominent leather goods exporters have built sizeable modern factories in this
industrial park.
Industry Matchmaking: ILPA Brings together manufacturer/merchant exporters on a common
platform to promote export of high quality leather & leather products.
It develops & maintains symbiotic liaison with international trade bodies & Chambers of
Commerce.
Trade Fairs & Seminars/ Webinars: ILPA organizes trade delegations to international fairs for
its members. ILPA organizes Seminars, webinars & workshops on a regular basis related to
industry matters. It provides a forum for exchange of knowledge & information and provides
customized services for its associates.
Fashion Event: Organizes the ILPA SHOW : Leather on the Ramp, one of the most prestigious
and sought-after fashion events in Eastern India. International and domestic Buyers of leather
products are invited to witness the gala event on the ramp showcasing latest fashion trends among
much glitz and glamour.
Role of ILPA: In the Leather Goods Sector

16. For any support & queries related to Leather Goods Industry
Contact
INDIAN LEATHER PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION
Suite No 6, 14th Floor,
Chatterjee International Center
33A Jawahar Lal Nehru Road,
Kolkata 700071
West Bengal
Phone: 033-4603-7016, +91 9007881474
Email: mail@ilpaindia.org
Thank you!