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Council for Leather Exports (CLE) Chairman Sanjay Leekha has said that the country's exports of leather and leather products would cross $6 billion in 2022-23 on account of growing demand for these products in global markets. He said the sector is aiming at $10 billion by 2025-26. He noted that the changes in global market dynamics caused by the pandemic have created huge export opportunities for the sector.

CLE Chairman stated that the emerging business opportunities coupled with the slew of trade agreements signed and in pipeline and the active support of the government will help in sustaining the export growth in the remaining months of this year. The shipments from the sector rose by 32.5 per cent to $4.9 billion in 2021-22 from $3.7 billion in the previous year. Healthy export growth witnessed in 2021-22 is continuing this year also, with export of leather, leather products and footwear increasing from $621.50 million in April–May 2021 to $887.40 million in April - May 2022.

Export to USA has registered a growth of about 78.5 per cent, increasing from $128.49 million in April - May 2021 to $229.40 million in April - May 2022. Shipments to India's largest market - Europe too registered a growth of 44.6 per cent to $317.04 million during the first two months of this fiscal. Further exports to other potential markets like Canada, Australia, the UAE have also grown this year. The signing of trade pacts with the UAE and Australia would help in further boosting the outbound shipments.