Intertek, the multinational inspection, product testing and certification company, has recently opened a comprehensive leather and footwear testing facility in Chennai, India, to support the country’s leather, footwear and leather goods industries.
The new laboratory is expected to offer a broad range of safety and performance testing services to leather manufacturers in south-east India, including testing capabilities for strength, water spotting, colourfastness testing and chemical analysis. The self-contained lab will be a central destination for testing and certification services, providing a competitive edge to regional clients with high standards for quality and safety for their products, as well as ensuring they accomplish acceptable standards for global buyers.
"Our main aim to set up this lab was to provide our valuable customers across the region with quality testing and certification, which is our core strength, thus helping them manufacture quality products and meet the requirements of the end consumers," said Rajesh Saigal, regional managing director, Intertek South Asia, in a release.
Adding his thoughts, Manish Kumar, regional director for Softlines, Intertek, said that South India is a main footwear production centre in India and this lab will play a significant role in boosting the economic growth of the country’s footwear industry.
"Intertek’s unmatched expertise in identifying the species and the chemicals used in dyeing and finishing ensures that the end product meets the quality requirements of the customers and the requirements of regions to which they are marketed," he said. "Our broad testing capabilities enable our clients to effectively evaluate their footwear at all stages of growth and production. Our state-of-the-art lab will enable industry players to get their products tested and gain global acceptance."
