Centre chalks out plan to enhance export to US

Chennai, Jan 30: With an aim to create employment for one millionpeople, the Union Governmnet has chalked out a new plan to enhanceexport to United States by 2010.

Addressing media, Council for Leather Exports (CLE) Director, KElongavan said with an year-on-year growth at 7.98 per cent the exportof leather and related products from India reached an all time high ofUSD 2.7 billion during 2005-2006, compared to USD 2.5 billion in theprevious financial year.

"Keeping in view the past performace, current trends in the globaltrade, industry's inherent strengths and the growth prospects, theindustry aims to augment the production and therby enhance export USD 7billion by 2010-2011, resulting in creation of additional employmentopportunities about one million people", he added.

The export of leather goods and its related products would surpassthe target of USD 3 billion during the current fiscal, he said.

Mr Elongavan said the positive growth in exports was continuing inthe first six months of the current year too, with export duringApril-September 2006 reaching USD 1490.54 million, as against theprevious year's performance of USD 1387.51 million.

"The Centre is also devising a new plan to increase skilledmanpower and upgradation of techniques in the leather industries tocompete at the highest-level," he said adding new training programmeswould be introduced in different leather institutes across the country.

Asked about the international competition in leather industry, DrElangovan pointed out countries like Hong Kong and Thailand wereevincing more interest in buying Indian leather products due to thehigh quality.

Besides, many countries were trying to shift their manufacturingfacilities to India from major leather exporting nations like Romaniaand Spain due to rising costs.

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