Shoes and Accessories Magazine - March 2016

In this issue

The dawn of another season comes with new ideas and fresh energy. It was reaffirmed when the lamps were lit up at the inaugurations of India International Leather Fair, Designers Fair and UITIC Congress in Chennai.

If the new season has brought more than ideas, then what was ubiquitous was the conviction among the industry stalwarts. It could have remained as a mere conviction, had it not been for the confirmation we saw in exhibitors, delegates and experts from several countries.

The recent announcement by global footwear brands to increase sourcing from the local market was another testimony to the fact that the industry’s target to achieve high figure is within reach. If Clarks was the only prominent player planning to increase it local sourcing, then the intention of Under Armour to start manufacturing here, like several others, only highlights how realistic it is.

This comes at a time when China is no more a cheap manufacturing hub, stimulating many to seize the opportunity and brandish the Make In India initiative. However, we shouldn’t be carried away by the miscalculation that exports alone should be the driver of economic growth, even though we have witnessed it happen in the last few several decades in other economies. We are of the opinion that domestic consumption should also be given equal emphasis in a big country with a population of more than a billion.

Underscoring this and other major developments we have observed, India Shoes and Accessories Forum, 2016 will have the movers and shakers of the industry to share their useful views. Come and be a part of it.