Career Opportunities in Leather Industry

Once upon a time, as school textbooks show, early man draped himself with animal hides. From those ‘raw and basic' days, man has today progressed to using even synthetic leather. With these changes the Indian leather industry has moved up the value chain too and today, with an annual turnover of $7 billion, it requires competent and creative leather technologists to drive the evolution.

The growth

"The growth in India's leather industry has been in terms of value addition. The turning point in the sector came in the 1970s before which India exported just semi-processed leather," points out S Valliappan, a Chennai-based independent consultant. An MTech in leather technology, he has worked with tanning and finishing units and in leather chemical companies.

Following the Seetharamiah Committee's recommendations in 1972, the Government of India changed its policy to encourage exporters to deal in more finished products. "The government wanted India's share in the global leather industry to grow," says Valliappan. At present, the country's contribution is 2.75 per cent, according to the Council for Leather Exports.

India's leather and leather products exports are up from $2752.50 million in 2005-2006 to $3400.97 million in 2009-2010. With raw material aplenty, the country produces 2 billion sq ft of leather annually.

Valliappan adds that now the focus will be on shifting from export of finished leather to exporting finished leather goods.

Career options

Here are employment opportunities for leather technologists (diploma/BTech) in descending order.

• The major employers of leather technologists are tanning and finishing units. The major hotspots of tanning and leather finishing units include Ambur, Chennai, Kanpur, Ranipet, Vaniyambadi, Kanpur, Karnal, Agra, Jalandhar, in and around Hyderabad, Dewas (Madhya Pradesh), Kolkata, in and around Mumbai, and Kolhapur (Maharashtra).
• The next big option is leather goods, shoes and leather garment companies.
• A small percentage works in leather chemicals companies, which require technical professionals for marketing.
• Leather buying houses and inspection agencies, too, employ them for their domain knowledge.
• Leather technologists can join financial institutions and banks, as well.
• A miniscule number finds jobs in international testing agencies, such as Societe Generale de Surveillance and TUV Rheinland, with offices in India.
• The teaching avenue is open too.

Some leather professionals are also taking to entrepreneurialism. "Quite a few leather technicians have started their own tanning and finishing units, leather chemical sales agencies and leather buying agencies. Quite a lot of them have become entrepreneurs," adds Valliappan.

 

Author: Rahat Banoi (HT Horizons)

Date: 22nd October, 2010

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