Ilpa, Indian Leather Products Association, pursues two missions: to source business contacts both in India and abroad as well as to provide qualified training to young people in the North-Eastern area of the country. Established in 1987, Ilpa is the association that encompasses 150 leather goods manufacturers and exporters, headquartered in Calcutta and with a regional office in Chennai.
The associated enterprises employ, either directly or indirectly, approximately 10,000 people. Ilpa works tirelessly to bring together domestic producers and exporters, helping them focus on shared goals so as to foster the sector’s growth and development. It forges and nurtures a mutual relation with vocational bodies, import associations and Chambers of Commerce overseas in order to support and promote leather goods exports. Its range of activities comprises also the drafting of market analysis reports in foreign countries, the organization as well as the participation in national and international trade shows, exhibitions and seminars. Since it is a non-profit organization, Ilpa is committed to providing an array of services and activities, at affordable costs, aimed at the leatherware industry. At the same time, it manages to effectively bring together international buyers and leather goods manufacturers.
The leather industry is a labour-intensive sector, in which more than 30% of the workforce is made up of women and the demand for qualified manpower is incredibly high. Bearing this in mind, Ilpa has implemented also a technical school that guarantees to underprivileged youths in Bengal’s rural area thes chance to train and develop their skills, thus helping them find suitable jobs. “We really care about our training institute, a refresher centre for workers learning to use new machinery, a design facility, an R&D area,” explained Adhar Sahni, Ilpa’s President. “Our goal is to help the local companies get international visibility through collective initiatives. We promote our associates throughout Europe. We foster leather goods exports and we arrange trade delegations to take part in international exhibitions and seminars.” However, Ilpa is also involved in the organization of trade shows. On January 28th and 29th, 2019, “The ILPA Buyer-Seller Summit 2019 took place at the Hotel ITC Sonar in Calcutta, where high-end leather goods manufactured in Eastern India were showcased. Calcutta’s districts are some of the most competitive hubs in terms of production of quality leatherware and global exports.
Ilpa’s associated enterprises are well-equipped in order to develop top-notch, fashionable articles by using low-cost hides provided by local tanneries. The majority of the association members are suppliers to internationally renowned brands, dealers as well as store chains. The two-day event’s programme comprised also factory visits on-demand, while translation services were provided for free. Throughout the year, Ilpa is set to organize other exhibitions such as, for instance, the India International Leather Fair Kolkata and Ilpa Show: Leather on the Ramp – one of the most prestigious fashion events held in Eastern India.
Last but not least, it also manages the Freya Design Studio, an award sponsored by CLE (Council for Leather Exports) dedicated to the leatherware and footwear sectors – an initiative that aims at promoting the design phase and at encouraging young talents to try their hand in the fashion world. “The Calcutta area is becoming more and more competitive, hosting companies that manufacture top-quality articles, then exported all over the world thanks to famous fashion houses,” explained Adhar Sahni. “Ilpa runs also the Ilpa Infrastructure Development Foundation, a centre for state-of-the-art facilities. In this way, enterprises can employ cutting-edge machinery for leather production and for the development of new samples.” www.ilpaindia.org