Besides helping the 538-odd tanneries in West Bengal shift to the newly formed Calcutta Leather Complex(CLC) to upgrade their products and technological processes and meet the EU regulations, Italy is also looking to increase bilateral exchange of goods and services in this sector.
Vittorio Mecozzi, Italian Trade commissioner, said “that export import of leather goods had been on a high growth path between India and Italy which can be further increased because many Italian companies are looking at joint ventures with India companies in leather sector. Last year in 2007-08 Italian imports of leather goods from India was close to 32 million Euro and India exported closed to 10.5 million pairs of shoes which is equivalent to 122 million euro and finished leather good export from India to Italy was close to 133.5 million euro. Infact India is the fifth largest supplier to Italy after China and Vietnam.
Italy a leading player in the world leather market, it does $18.66 billion worth annual exports in leather goods is also the largest exporter of tannery machinery to India. Italy exported close to 25 million euro last fiscal of which 10 million euro is tannery machinery. Italian consulate and trade office is investing close to 1.5 million Euro in the TTSC facility in supplying the high end machinery which can help address the environmental concerns, one of the chief hurdle of CLC Bantala complex. The facility will be spread over an area of 2700 square meter, for which construction is on, land was procured by West bengal government, informed, S S Kumar, chairman, Government College of Engineering and Leather Technology.