Agra footwear industry facing Chinese heat

Agra, known for Taj Mahal world over, has an enormous leather industry, catering to the huge demand of footwear in the country for decades. But the industry is today witnessing perhaps the toughest time since its existence, due to challenge posed by Chinese footwear.

By Brajesh Kr.Singh

Agra, Sep 2 : Agra, known for Taj Mahal world over, has an enormous leather industry, catering to the huge demand of footwear in the country for decades. But the industry is today witnessing perhaps the toughest time since its existence, due to challenge posed by Chinese footwear.

A large number of people related to the local footwear industry for generations today fear closure of the factories due to dumping of the Chinese footwear here.

The local workers associated with factories say that the imported Chinese products have triggered a cut-throat competition in local markets with buyers being inclined for Chinese products.

Vijendra Singh, a worker, said: "We are finding it hard to the beat Chinese products. Earlier, we used to work the whole year, but now we are left with just two-and-a-half months of work. Thousands of people are involved with this work and have sleepless nights due to this."

The Chinese goods are relatively cheap and thus have been able to badly-affect the market for Indian footwear.

The footwear industry here was showing impressive growth until the arrival of low-cost Chinese footwear in the market.

Indian footwear industry is labour intensive and is concentrated in the small and cottage industry sectors.

Cottage industry authorities say the industry needs immediate government intervention before it is thoroughly ruined.

Dharmendra Soni, Treasurer of the Small Scale Shoe Factory in Agra, said: "The workers here come from far off places and facing the brunt of it (Chinese goods). Things have changed and making it tough to arrange daily meal due to loss of work."

Agra's cottage, small scale and medium scale footwear units manufacture over 1.5 lakh pairs of shoes every day.

There about 60 organised footwear units, 3,000 tiny manufacturing units and about 30,000 household artisans units. There are a large number of ancillary industries, supporting footwear industries in Agra.

About 65 per cent of the total domestic requirement of shoes in the country is fulfilled from Agra.

There are around 70 export units in Agra in which two golden cards holders and three silver cardholders units. Total export turnover stands at about Rs. 450 crore.

The footwear industry is a significant segment of the leather industry in India, which has brought considerable export revenues and officials hope to take it to the four billion dollars mark by 2010.

ANI