fMM&T India 2009 to bring footwear industry together

fMM&T 2009 will run for three days, from May 8-10, 2009, and will be held at the India Expo Centre, Expo XXI, in Greater Noida, New Delhi.

In India, the footwear market is growing steadily and local manufacturers need to meet regularly with their international and local suppliers to keep abreast of the latest trends happening in this industry. Footwear is the engine of growth for the entire leather industry in India which is the second largest global producer of footwear after China, accounting for 14% of global footwear production of 14.52 billion pairs.

India produces 2,065 million pairs of different categories of footwear including: leather shoes (909 million pairs), leather shoe uppers (100 million pairs) and non-leather footwear (1,056 million pairs). India exports about 115 million pairs. Thus, nearly 95% of its production goes to meet its own domestic demand.

Exhibitors are suppliers of the footwear & leather industry and will display raw materials including hides & skins, rubber, pvc, tpr, pu, natural fibers and materials, high performance fabrics. Other exhibits include finishing chemicals & dyes, shoe machinery equipment & tools, Cad-Cam design and supply chain software technology and other services.

In many instances, the products to be displayed will be completely new to Indian buyers. As the major Indian footwear production is based in Agra, which is in North India, the venue of fMM&T 2009 is conveniently located in Greater Noida on the expressway leading to New Delhi. Participants at this first event will include exhibitors from several countries such as Brazil, China, Italy, Spain, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Companies confirmed as on date are:

Ajanta Label Co (P) Ltd; AMS Narula Labels Pvt. Ltd; Aqsa International; Baco Metallic Industries; Bureau Veritas; C & E Limited; Chemcrown Exports Limited; Classic Enterprises; Dhingra Industries; Enkay (India); Eskay Sales Corporation; Ess Aar Industries; Ess Aar Universal; HDM Leathers; Hijaz Leathers; Hyde Park (India) Pvt Ltd; Indchem Distributors (Pvt) Ltd; Jasch Industries Ltd; Khaiser International; L R Moulds Pvt Ltd; Leather Links; Multy Leathers; Musa Taqi Exports; Naaz Leather Finishers; Nagauri Tanning Industries; Northern Indian Leather Cloth Mfg Co Ltd; Omega Polymicrons Pvt Ltd; Penza Tanning Industries P Ltd; Rallan Agencies; Riba International; Ridhi Sidhi Laminations Pvt Ltd; Rishi Overseas; Sanghavi Shoe Accessoires Pvt Ltd; Shroff Polymers; Sikandar & Co Pvt Ltd; Soprefa India Shoe Components Pvt Ltd; Sri Vari Overseas; Standard Steel Products; Sudh Priya Plastichem Pvt Ltd; Suolificio Linea Italia (India) Pvt Ltd; Super Tannery Ltd; Trela Footwear Exports (P) Ltd; Vacouro Leather (India) Pvt Ltd; Versatile Enterprises Pvt Ltd; Wilhelm Textiles India (P) Ltd; Wonder Polymers (P) Ltd; Zuha Leather.

Even in today's recession-hit environment the Indian economy is still growing steadily. The domestic consumption of footwear within India, due to an expanding middle class, especially within urban areas, has been driving the growth of the footwear industry.

Shoe making remains highly labour intensive as the industry is also an important source of employment, especially for semi and unskilled workers. This aspect is important and has led to the encouraging support from the Indian government. India has witnessed promising technology inflow and foreign direct investment. The entire leather sector is now 'de-licensed' and 'de-reserved', paving the way for expansion on modern lines with state-of-the-art machinery and equipment.

fMM&T 2009 is aimed at creating a bridge between the footwear manufacturers and the materials and component suppliers targeting the vast Indian footwear market. fMM&T brings together two highly experienced organisations: The Indian Footwear Components Manufacturers Association (IFCOMA) and APLF.

IFCOMA is the only trade association of footwear component manufacturers in India. As a non-profit organisation, it aims to help the industry meet international quality and standards. APLF are the organisers of the annual APLF - Materials, Manufacturing and Technology exhibition in Hong Kong which, together with (the twice a year) Fashion Access, are regarded as the premier international exhibition for the sectors in Asia. APLF is a joint venture between CMP Asia, a subsidiary of the United Business Media Group PLC which operates in over 30 countries and SIC SA in Paris. 

Contact Details: Nigel Luke Brown, CMP India, email: nigelb@ubmindia.com; website: www.aplfindia.com. Mohinder Garg, Indian Footwear Components Manufacturers Association (IFCOMA), email: ifcoma@vsnl.com; website: www.ifcoma.org