FDDI attended the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Council for Leather Exports (CLE) and Solidaridad Regional Expertise Centre (SREC), India.
CLE which operates under the esteemed aegis of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India as the single largest and apex trade promotion organization of the Indian leather and Footwear industry has played a pivotal role in promoting and enhancing the sector's global standing.
SREC in India, a not-for-profit entity is an integral part of Solidaridad Global Network present in around 50 countries, dedicated to Sustainable Supply Chains in various agricultural and industrial commodities.
Representing FDDI, Mr. Pankaj Kumar Sinha, Managing Director (MD), FDDI and Mr. Deepak Choudhary, Consultant - HoD-School of Footwear Design & Production (FDP) attended this significant ceremony.
On this occasion, delivering the ‘Keynote Address’, Mr. Pankaj Kumar Sinha, MD, FDDI said, “The Indian leather industry which is poised to achieve the ambitious target of US$ 47-billion business by 2030, needs to adhere to the 7S i.e. Skill, Scale, Speed, Sustainability, Supply Chain, Style and Sales which are interrelated factors.”
“In tandem with the 7S, FDDI, as an ‘Institution of National Importance’ is providing skilled manpower to the Leather and Leather Products Sector, thus fulfilling the skilling requirement in Leather & Footwear Industry of India”, added Mr. Sinha.
“To meet the cutting edge technologies requirement such as additive manufacturing, AI application in design and data analysis, latest software’s, and augmented reality application, digital enterprise, FDDI has initiated the processes of Industry 4.0 application through operationalization of ‘Centre of Excellence’ (CoEs) which are having the best available infrastructure and skills to not only aid research and development, but also to address concerns of the industry like product development, technological assistance and centres for incubation and entrepreneurship development”, further added Mr. Sinha.
The MoU, which was signed on 21st December, 2023 at Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi, marks an important milestone for the Indian leather industry.
The MoU, effective from 1st January 2024 till 31st December 2028, initiates a pivotal five-year partnership between SREC and CLE. The MoU outlines the collaboration’s commitment to train workers over five years, conduct capacity-building programmes, and build partnerships with leading leather institutions and leather businesses in the country.
The collaborative efforts of Solidaridad and CLE have been instrumental in introducing numerous eco-friendly innovations focused on water optimization, effluent reduction, circularity, GHG reduction, and digital tools in key locations such as Kanpur, Kolkata, and Tamil Nadu. Building on the success of this partnership, we are thrilled to announce its expansion across various leather geographies in India.
