India exported US$4.75 billion of leather, leather products and footwear in 2025-26, down 1.63% from US$4.83 billion the year before, according to DGCI&S figures published by the Council for Leather Exports, which is headquartered on Sivaganga Road in Nungambakkam. Tamil Nadu sits at the centre of that trade: the state says it accounts for about 48% of India’s footwear exports and 26% of footwear manufacturing output.
The dip came in a difficult year. A US tariff that leather exporters described as 50% applied from late August 2025 until a reduction was announced in February 2026, and Red Sea rerouting added 15 to 20 days to shipments to Europe and America, Leather News reported. In rupee terms, exports still rose, from Rs 40,845 crore to Rs 41,914 crore.
What India exports, by product
| Product | 2024-25 (US$ million) | 2025-26 (US$ million) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leather footwear | 2,007.76 | 1,946.86 | -3.03% |
| Leather goods | 1,319.60 | 1,253.60 | -5.00% |
| Leather garments | 353.82 | 416.29 | +17.66% |
| Finished leather | 445.32 | 397.63 | -10.71% |
| Non-leather footwear | 252.91 | 261.97 | +3.58% |
| Footwear components | 244.17 | 253.38 | +3.77% |
| Saddlery and harness | 205.39 | 220.38 | +7.30% |
| Total | 4,828.97 | 4,750.11 | -1.63% |
The USA was the biggest buyer in 2025-26 at 20.54% of exports, followed by Germany at 10.97% and the UK at 8.84%, the council’s data shows. Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, France and the UAE complete the next tier, and the top 15 countries together took 77.58% of shipments. Leather footwear alone makes up about 41% of the total. National figures are given here because neither the council nor DGCI&S publishes a Chennai-only export number we could find.
Where Tamil Nadu’s leather is made
The council lists nine Tamil Nadu production centres: Chennai, Ambur, Ranipet, Vaniyambadi, Vellore, Pernambut, Trichy, Dindigul and Erode. The Ranipet, Ambur and Vaniyambadi belt along the Palar is the oldest of them. According to Guidance Tamil Nadu, the state has about 60% of India’s leather processing capacity and produces 38% of its footwear.
In and around Chennai itself, the trade is spread across a few clusters:
- Pallavaram and Chromepet: the city’s old tannery belt. The Pallavaram Tanners Industrial Effluent Treatment Company in Chromepet has 144 member tanneries and a consented capacity of 3,000 kilolitres a day, according to the TNPCB’s list of tannery CETPs.
- Madhavaram: a smaller tannery cluster with a 400 KLD effluent plant serving 14 units.
- Panapakkam: farther out in Ranipet district, a Mega Footwear and Accessories Cluster of 348 acres, including a 201-acre SEZ, built at Rs 271.33 crore with a Rs 125 crore central grant, per the state’s 2024-25 industries policy note. Taiwan’s Hong Fu group was given an in-principle allotment of 130 acres in April 2023.
- Export houses and design offices: many exporters keep head offices, sampling units and buying-house links in Chennai even when production is in Ranipet or Ambur.
Effluent is the industry’s oldest problem. Tanning uses large volumes of water and chemicals, and Tamil Nadu’s tanneries now treat their waste collectively: the TNPCB list shows 13 tannery common effluent treatment plants across the state. In output terms, the state ranked first in India for leather and leather products in the Annual Survey of Industries for 2021-22, with Rs 0.18 lakh crore, or 27.54% of national output, according to the industries policy note.
Chennai is also where the Central Leather Research Institute is based, and where the industry’s big annual trade show is held.
Jobs
Nationally, the sector employs about 4.42 million people, and women make up about 40% of the workforce in leather products, the council says. Guidance Tamil Nadu puts employment in the state’s leather and footwear sector at about 1.5 million, mostly women. The state’s Footwear and Leather Products Policy 2022 set targets of Rs 20,000 crore of investment and more than 2 lakh jobs in footwear. Much of the newer investment is in non-leather sports and casual shoes in districts such as Perambalur, Ranipet and Kallakurichi.
The leather fair and the year ahead
The India International Leather Fair at the Chennai Trade Centre ran from 1 to 3 February 2026 with 362 domestic exhibitors and 66 overseas participants, fewer than in 2025, Leatherbiz reported. The council has pointed to recent trade agreements with the UK, the EU, the EFTA countries, New Zealand and Oman as longer-term openings. Exporters wanting membership or help with export registration can contact the CLE’s southern regional office at the Nungambakkam head office, listed on its contact page with the phone number 044 4868 4380.
Quick answers
How much leather does India export?
US$4.75 billion in 2025-26, including footwear, per DGCI&S data compiled by the Council for Leather Exports.
What share of India’s footwear exports come from Tamil Nadu?
About 48%, according to the state’s Footwear and Leather Products Policy 2022. Guidance Tamil Nadu gives 45% on its sector page.
Where are Chennai’s tanneries?
Mainly in Pallavaram and Chromepet, with a smaller cluster at Madhavaram. Both are served by common effluent treatment plants.
Where is the Council for Leather Exports?
No. 1, Sivaganga Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai 600034.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Indian Leather Industry 2026 (Council for Leather Exports)
- Contact us (Council for Leather Exports)
- Tamil Nadu Footwear and Leather Products Policy 2022 (State Planning Commission, Tamil Nadu)
- Leather and Non Leather Footwear sector page (Guidance Tamil Nadu)
- Policy Note 2024-25, Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce Department (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- Status of tannery CETPs (Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board)
- Indian leather and footwear exports dip to $4.75 billion in FY2025-26 (APLF Leather News, June 2026)
- India International Leather Fair opens in Chennai (Leatherbiz, February 2026)
