Leather exports from the country may touch USD 5.2 billion in the fiscal 2012-13 , said the Council of Leather Exports (CLE), Chairman, M. Rafeeque Ahmed.

"Our exorts will see growth and increase further in the current fiscal. Exports will be at USD 5.2 billion in this fiscal," he told SME Times.

He added that the council has asked many leather exporters to increase their capacities and modernise their units so that Indian leather sector becomes more competitive globally.

Ahmed also said that they are planning to increase their international marketing efforts which can further help in boosting leather export growth.

The demand in the US and European market are quite slow at the moment but are recovering. Stating that he also added,  We have to focus in the other markets like in the Latin America and Africa as we have done last fiscal. We will continue to focus on those markets in this fiscal as well."

When asked whether they are planning to focus on new additional markets this year, Ahmed said, "As of now, we are not planning anything like. But we will continue to focus on the markets that we did last year."

The major markets for Indian leather products are Germany with a share of 14.34 percent, UK 12.80 percent, Italy 11.52 percent, USA 8.72 percent, Hong Kong 8.11 percent, France 7.07 percent, Spain 6.31 percent, Netherlands 3.98 percent, Belgium 2.02 percent, U.A.E.1.92 percent, Australia 1.30 percent.

These 11 countries together accounts for nearly 78.09 percent of India’s total leather products export.

Export of leather from India is expected to reach about USD 4.8 billion in fiscal 2011-12 and likely to touch USD 5.4 billion by 2014.

Source: smetimes.in