TN faces shortage of manpower, raw material in leather unit

Tamil Nadu is facing shortage of raw material and skilled manpower in the leather industry, State Rural Industries Minister P Mohan said.

"The USD 12.5 billion leather industry is facing two big challenges -- shortage of raw material and manpower. As the Centre for manufacturing and especially for the leather sector, Tamil Nadu has a continued need for skilled manpower", he said.

He was participating in a function to hand over certificates to candidates who completed courses offered by the Central Footwear Training Institute, backed by Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation.

Assuring the Government's support to the leather industry, he appealed to the candidates to utilise the skills for the growth of the industry. According to him, 40 percent of country's production is happening in Vellore, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts.

The leather industry in Tamil Nadu employs about 1.5 million people. A press release said the leather industry, which was currently valued at USD 12 billion, is poised to reach USD 27 billion by 2020.