Sri Lanka's footwear industry to be assisted by India

Sri Lanka Minister of Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen has said that India will provide assistance to Sri Lanka's footwear industry as it imports the bulk of its raw material from Chennai

The industry is expected   to see a healthy growth after the government granted vital tax concessions in the last budget; the minister has been quoted as telling at an industry meet at Calcutta.

“The request to New Delhi is for skills building and training for the local footwear and leather industry.” The minister has told the Indian entrepreneurs

'The emerging demand for designer footwear in Sri Lanka appears to be a new trend, which Indian sellers can exploit,' he told the fourth Indian Leather Buyer Seller Meet here, which was attended by several leading players from the Indian industry.

Organized by the Council of Leather Exports of India, the previous event in Sri Lanka had seen confirmed orders worth $19,500 and several times more in the form of buyer-seller inquiries.