Which City is Called the Leather City of India?

Leather City of India: Kanpur is called the Leather City of India. It is India’s biggest leather production and export hub, known for world-class tannery clusters, equestrian leather goods, military boots, footwear, industrial leather, and export-grade finished leather. With Asia’s largest organised leather belt and a skilled workforce, it is the backbone of India’s leather economy.

Which city is known as the Leather City of India?

Kanpur is known as the Leather City of India because it houses the largest concentration of leather tanneries and leather manufacturing units in the country. The city’s production ecosystem includes raw hide processing, finished leather units, export factories, leather technology centres, and dedicated labour clusters. For decades, Kanpur has been India’s most significant leather export hub, especially in equestrian and military leather goods.

Why is Kanpur called the Leather City of India?

Kanpur earned this title due to its scale, heritage, and export leadership in leather production. It has Asia’s biggest tannery belt in Jajmau, government-approved leather parks, and India’s strongest equestrian leather goods export system. Kanpur also has a deep artisanal tradition and a structured supply chain that supports tanning, finishing, manufacturing, and global distribution, giving it leadership unmatched by any other Indian city.

Which area in Kanpur is famous for leather industries?

The Jajmau industrial belt is the most famous leather hub in Kanpur. It hosts numerous tanneries, leather processing plants, chemical units, and distribution facilities. Additionally, the Unnao–Kanpur leather corridor and Banthar Leather Technology Park support advanced manufacturing and export-grade finishing with environmental compliance infrastructure and specialised industry R&D zones, giving the region a complete production-to-export capability.

What leather products is Kanpur famous for?

Kanpur is widely recognised for equestrian leather goods such as saddles, harnesses, bridles, and riding boots. It also manufactures military boots, industrial safety shoes, premium tanned leather, belts, bags, gloves, and leather accessories. Kanpur supplies to global equestrian brands, defence forces, corporate buyers, and industrial suppliers, making it versatile across luxury, sporting, and industrial leather markets.

Is Kanpur the largest leather exporter in India?

Kanpur is one of India’s largest leather exporters and the world’s leading supplier of equestrian leather products. It exports to high-value global markets including Europe, the US, Middle East, and Australia. Kanpur’s export dominance is supported by specialised manufacturing zones, compliance facilities, skilled labour, and long-standing international trade relationships, ensuring consistent high-volume output and global credibility.

Strategic Location, Historical Industrial Growth

Kanpur is located in Uttar Pradesh along the Ganga River and evolved as a major industrial zone during British rule. Its early military supply factories led to specialised tannery units and skilled labour networks. With time, Kanpur developed into a structured leather ecosystem, supported by industry clusters, logistics connectivity, research centres, and export-focused infrastructure.

Why Kanpur Leads India’s Leather Industry?

Kanpur’s advantage lies in its integrated production clusters, skilled craftsmen, industrial parks, and export-grade manufacturing capacity. The city offers end-to-end leather capability, raw hide processing, finishing, design, mass production, and export logistics. Government support and industry-academia collaboration further strengthen its leadership in sustainable leather innovation.

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