India is one of the largest countries in cattle breeding and having this potential, it supplies 10% of the world’s demand for leather products among the top ten major exporters. The Indian government has made many domestic and foreign investments to develop the leather industry as much as possible. In addition to India's huge potential in the leather industry, the focus on occupational safety and health as well as the working environment of workers, consumer health and satisfaction, and compliance with environmental standards has laid the foundation for the growth of the Indian leather industry. Around 2.5 million workers work in the industry, 30% of whom are women. The annual production value of Indian leather and exported leather products exceed billions of dollars. The production and export of leather and leather products from India are increasing year by year. Germany, USA, UK, Italy, Spain, France, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, and other countries are the main export target markets for Indian leather. Geographically speaking, Asia currently has the largest market for leather and leather goods, and the region's revenue from leather goods has been the highest in the world in recent years. Developing countries such as India, China, and Dubai are expected to hold the highest market demand in the near future, mainly due to increasing disposable income and preference for leather bags and accessories. India is currently one of the fastest-growing leather markets in the world in terms of leather production and consumption. India is also one of the largest tick leather producers in the world, making large quantities of thick bovine leather. While there was a time when India evoked poverty in our minds, now the country's economic progress and scientific revolution have captured everyone's attention. Huge foreign investment has long been considered normal in the country and the demand for Indian products has increased dramatically in the global market. 
Top 10 leather exporters
It may sound strange, but China is exporting 80% of the world's leather. Currently, China, Italy, India, Brazil, South Korea, India, Russia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, and Algeria are the world's largest producers and exporters, of which China alone tops 80% of the world's leather production. According to research, 65% of the world's leather comes from cattle, 15% from sheep, 9% from goats, and 11% from other animals. China is very active in the global market for leather garments and bags, although according to market activists, the quality of leather produced in China is inferior to European leather, second and third grades, and few top-quality leather types are produced in this country. The most famous and largest leather market is considered to be in central Guangzhou, a place at which a variety of different leather markets for natural and artificial leather, leather products including bags, belts, shoes, and accessories demanded by the industry are provided at high quality. Huadu Shiling Leather Goods Market is of the biggest in China and the world, 20 kilometers from Guangzhou city, and opened in 2000. The market brings together well-known Chinese and international brands, and almost all leather articles can be found in this market. 
Leather products in India
India's leather exports and leather products, which have an annual turnover of around $17.74 billion, have grown exponentially over the past decades, reaching $5.74 billion in 2017 -2018. The leather industry sector includes tanneries (which process raw hides into leather) and factories that use leather to manufacture various consumer goods such as footwear, leather clothing, leather accessories, gloves, etc. In addition to the quality of the raw material, the leather processing procedure, the design of the leather, the process of creating the product, and its manufacturer play a key role in the value added. There is no dearth of raw materials for the leather industry in India since 20% of the world's cows and buffaloes and 11% of the world's goats and sheep come from this country. Furthermore, India has a skilled workforce, innovative technologies, growing compliance with international environmental standards, and support from affiliated industries. The industry is employment-intensive, providing occupations for 4.42 billion people, most of whom are from socially disadvantaged groups. The Indian leather industry has enormous potential for sustainable development in the local market and export sector. India’s leather industry has many innate strong points, such as the independence of raw material supply, competitive labor wages, the existence of technical research and development institutions, and manufacturing industries. The growth of the domestic footwear and leather products market is another important factor contributing to the growth of the Indian leather industry. The purchasing power of India's dynamic society is increasing, so the prospects for satisfying domestic demand are bright. Therefore, they predict that the per capita shoe consumption will increase from the current 2 pairs to 4 pairs in 2020. Based on these points, the annual shoe production in 2020 will reach 5 billion pairs from the current 2 billion pairs. 
Leather exporters
The leather industry’s international problems involve several factors and data that challenge leather exporters, including obstructed importation of raw materials for the leather industry, such as dyes, resins, tallows, materials needed for manufacturing PU leather products, and the very poor performance of the country's customs. There is no denying that erratic importation and smuggling of leather goods and products damage the leather industry. Illegal importation and smuggling are major factors destroying domestic production and must be tackled fundamentally. Similar to other industries, the fluctuation in currency prices is another factor that has hurt the leather industry all around the world. Most of the machinery and technology required by this industry are imported. 
The shortage of raw materials, currency fluctuations, and money supply need to be handled carefully. Importing these basic necessities poses a challenge for the leather industry, as producers need to obtain the foreign currency they need through unofficial and dangerous sources. The lack and absence of branding in the leather industry and the absence of an advanced distribution network in the industry are other fundamental and essential problems of the leather industry. Leather producers are asking for authorities and union producers to come together and overcome these obstacles.
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