The CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) in Adyar has worked on leather since 1948, and it is still the main technical backstop for Tamil Nadu’s tanneries and shoe factories. It began that year in a building on Coral Merchant Street in George Town, moved to its own campus in 1952, and got its first director, B.M. Das, on 15 January 1953, according to the institute’s academic history. Its director today is P. Thanikaivelan.
It matters to Chennai because the state’s leather belt starts here. The Council for Leather Exports’ 2026 industry overview lists Chennai, Ambur, Ranipet, Vaniyambadi, Vellore, Pernambut, Tiruchi, Dindigul and Erode as the Tamil Nadu production centres. India’s leather and footwear exports came to about US$4.75 billion in 2025-26, and the sector employs about 4.42 million people, the same document says. Here is what CLRI does and how outsiders can use it.
The research that changed tanneries
Tanning turns raw hide into leather using chemicals and a lot of water, and for decades effluent from the Palar valley tanneries was a pollution flashpoint. Much of CLRI’s work aims at cleaner processing. Technologies listed by the institute and by CSIR’s Science Reporter include:
- Waterless chrome tanning, transferred to around 50 tanning units in India, according to CLRI.
- Effluent treatment methods based on electro-oxidation and catalytic oxidation, aimed at zero wastewater discharge.
- Waste into products: compost, biogas, activated carbon from trimmings, and high-value collagen products.
- Medical uses: collagen sheets supplied for more than 60 children injured in the 2004 Kumbakonam school fire, and DIASTEP footwear for people with diabetic foot ulcers.
Recent research topics on its RTI disclosure page include vegan leather-like materials and a study on forecasting India’s leather footwear exports. The institute publishes technology compendiums and a patent list for companies looking to license work.
Testing and certification
CLRI’s testing arm, CATERS, has held ISO 17025:2017 accreditation since September 2019, with a scope of 176 physical and 49 chemical tests. Since 2007 it has assessed and certified 1.35 lakh leather samples, the institute’s scope-of-work page says. Exporters use it to meet buyers’ and the Commerce Ministry’s requirements. CLRI also runs regional centres in Ahmedabad, Jalandhar, Kanpur and Kolkata.
Courses you can actually join
CLRI is unusual because it is also a teaching campus. Anna University’s Department of Leather Technology is housed inside CLRI, a link that goes back to when the University of Madras located its department there. Programmes listed on the genesis page include:
- B.Tech in Leather Technology (four years since 1980), plus a seven-semester part-time B.Tech launched in 2000 for diploma holders working in industry, with evening classes from 6.15 pm to 9.30 pm.
- M.Tech in Leather Technology and M.Tech in Footwear Science and Engineering (the latter since 1987).
- M.S. by research and Ph.D. The first Ph.D. in leather technology was awarded in 1955.
The academic department’s alumni number more than 1,500. Admission to the degree programmes runs through Anna University’s processes.
Shorter courses come from CLRI’s Skill and Training Unit. Its August 2026 calendar listed 12 programmes, among them footwear design, physical testing of footwear for quality control orders, orientation to leather manufacture for design professionals, tannery solid waste management and an IPR workshop. Some examples with published terms:
| Programme (2026) | Length | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Hands-on training in electron microscopy, 24 to 28 August | 4 days | ₹4,000 |
| Metrology and maintenance of footwear testing equipment, 10 to 14 August | 5 days | ₹5,000 |
| Statistics using R programming, 2 September | 1 day | ₹1,180 incl. GST |
The two lab courses take only five people a batch and waive fees for SC, ST, EWS and PwBD candidates. Course queries go to 044 2443 7109 or chord.clri@csir.res.in. Watch the institute’s news section for each month’s calendar.
Working with the leather clusters
CLRI’s day-to-day reach goes well beyond Adyar. In September 2026 its scientists, led by the director, held technical sessions for tanneries and common effluent treatment plants across Tamil Nadu’s leather clusters on green manufacturing and cutting costs, in outreach programmes organised by the Council for Leather Exports’ southern region, UNI reported. The institute also invites companies to fund its R&D through CSR, and it lists consultancy, sponsored projects and job work for industry on its RTI page.
The campus is at Adyar, Chennai 600 020. Office hours are 9 am to 5.30 pm, Monday to Friday. The main lines are 044-24910846 and 044-24437131, and the director’s email is director.clri@csir.res.in, as listed on the CLRI website.
Quick answers
When was CLRI founded?
In 1948, as a laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. Its Adyar campus opened in 1952.
Can I study leather technology at CLRI?
Yes. Anna University’s Department of Leather Technology runs B.Tech, M.Tech and research degrees on the CLRI campus, and CLRI runs short skill courses.
Does CLRI test leather for the public?
Its CATERS lab offers paid physical and chemical testing, mainly used by industry and exporters. Contact the institute for samples and charges.
Which Tamil Nadu towns make leather?
The Council for Leather Exports lists Chennai, Ambur, Ranipet, Vaniyambadi, Vellore, Pernambut, Tiruchi, Dindigul and Erode.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Genesis: academic history of the Department of Leather Technology (CSIR-CLRI)
- Broad scope of work of CSIR-CLRI (CSIR-CLRI)
- Skill development programmes, August 2026 (CSIR-CLRI)
- Particulars of organisation, functions and duties, RTI (CSIR-CLRI)
- CSIR-CLRI home page
- Leather for Employment (Science Reporter, CSIR-NIScPR)
- Indian Leather Industry 2026 (Council for Leather Exports)
- CLRI joins outreach for Tamil Nadu leather clusters (UNI)
