Commerce Ministry holds meeting with stakeholders of textiles, leather, and footwear industry on India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry held a stakeholder meeting in New Delhi with representatives from the textiles, leather, and footwear industries to discuss the benefits of the India–United Kingdom (UK) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Piyush Goyal, emphasised that the agreement opens transformative opportunities for these sectors, enhancing competitiveness and visibility in the UK market. Secretary, Department of Commerce, Mr. Sunil Barthwal, highlighted that CETA’s tariff elimination and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) empowerment will foster inclusive growth and employment generation. Key institutional and industry stakeholders such as the Council for Leather Exports (CLE), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and various Export Promotion Councils participated in the deliberations alongside officials from the Ministry of Textiles and Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
CETA grants Indian textiles and leather goods duty-free access to the UK market, addressing earlier duty disadvantages of up to 12%. This is expected to benefit major textile clusters such as Tirupur, Jaipur, Surat, Ludhiana, Panipat, Bhadohi, and Moradabad, while doubling India’s leather and footwear exports to the UK—from Rs. 4,288 crore (US$ 494 million) in 2024 to Rs. 8,681 crore (US$ 1 billion) within three years. The agreement enhances the global standing of Geographical Indication (GI) products like Kolhapuri footwear and Mojari in the UK’s Rs. 75,524 crore (US$ 8.7 billion) leather market. It also supports sustainable practices, promotes digital adoption, and aligns technical standards. Complementary initiatives like the Indian Footwear and Leather Development Programme (IFLDP), with an outlay of Rs. 1,778 crore (US$ 204.80 million), will further boost capacity, innovation, and global branding. Follow-up consultations are planned to help clusters and MSMEs leverage these benefits effectively.

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