The Hindu : 21 countries participating in leather fair

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 31, 2003

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21 countries participating in leather fair

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI Jan. 30 . The 18th edition of the India International Leather Fair (IILF 2003) opens here on Friday, with about 235 leading companies from India and 20 other countries participating as exhibitors.

Opening within a year of dereservation of the tanning and footwear industry in the country (industries opened to largescale investors) and in the wake of expectations on dereservation of other segments like footwear components and garments, the five-day fair at the Chennai Trade Centre will have a record occupation of display space covering the `pucca' Halls IA, IB and II and a hangar constructed for the occasion.

The CTC was launched three years ago with the annual IILF. The product range would include leather goods, leather garments and multiproducts, leather footwear (shoes) and footwear components, leather machinery and chemicals, besides displays by publications and institutions.

Addressing a press conference here today, J. Vasudevan, chairman and managing director of the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), organiser of the fair, said IILF 2003 would represent a 13 per cent increase in the number of exhibitors over the last year. International participation was drawn from Australia, Brazil, China, the Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Holland, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Major events would include an INTECHMART (Investment and Technology Market) organised by the Council for Leather Exports (CLE) and featuring one-to-one buyer-seller meetings. Seminars/workshops would be held on "CAD presentations on spring/summer trends 2004" (February 1), "footwear sector" (ECCO, Denmark, February 2), "competing in quality" (Miram Waterhouse, UK, February 3) and "Italian finished leather industry and possibilities of cooperation with Indian industry" (Toscana Project, Italy, February 3). A buyer-seller meet with buyers from Latin American countries would be held at Hotel Le Meridien on February 1 and 2.

A fashion show would present the latest designs on February 1.

Organisations collaborating with the ITPO in holding the fair are the CLE, the Central Leather Research Institute, the Indian Leather Products Association, the Indian Shoe Federation, the Indian Footwear Components Manufacturers Association, the Indian Finished Leather Manufacturers and Exporters Association, the Indo-German Export Promotion Project, the Italian Trade Commission and the Indo-Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The fair, to be inaugurated by the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, will be open only to business visitors from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from February 1 to 4.

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