Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday signed five facilitation memoranda of understanding in the leather and footwear sector, entailing ₹2,250 crore in investment that can create jobs for over 37,450 persons. These projects are coming up in Perambalur and Ranipet districts.
The Kothari Industrial Corporation Limited and Phoenix Accord Limited together signed two deals. One is for a non-leather footwear manufacturing at an investment of ₹1,200 crore. The project will create jobs for 20,000 persons. And the second one is for a footwear cluster (a plug-and-play infrastructure). This project is worth ₹500 crore, and will provide jobs to over 5,000 persons.
The Kothari-SEMS Group inked a ₹300-crore deal that can create jobs for 10,000 persons. Wagon India Private Limited has committed itself to an investment of ₹150 crore and has informed that it will hire 1,200 people, while Walkaroo International Private Limited will put up ₹100 crore and employ 1,250 persons.
“Tamil Nadu accounts for 25% of India’s footwear production and 45% of exports,” Mr. Stalin said at a conclave organised by Guidance Tamil Nadu, a State government investment promotion agency.
Mr. Stalin noted that the government would examine the gaps in the footwear and leather goods manufacturing supply chain and strengthen the infrastructure further. The Tamil Nadu Footwear and Leather Products Policy, 2022, was launched to further strengthen this sector.
Jonathan Ram, chief executive officer, C&J Clark International Limited, a guest at the event, told The Hindu, “We intend to grow our business globally and Tamil Nadu would be an important market for us. And 100% of our sourcing is from Tamil Nadu.”
N. Mohan, CEO, Clarks India, said, “Clarks, as a group, believes in Indian manufacturing, and is hand-holding Indian manufacturers in non-leather footwear production.”
Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu and Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises T.M. Anbarasan attended the conclave. In the last 12 months, the DMK government has signed 192 MoUs with a cumulative investment of ₹2,20,220 crore and an employment potential of over 3 lakh.
