When I look back at how the leather industry has evolved and unfolded into many sub-sectors, one thing that stands out is the scope for design, creativity and continuous improvement. Today, the Indian Leather Industry has established itself as a high-growth sector with immense opportunities for entrepreneurship in traditional leather trades and new forms of leather substitutes. It is uniquely positioned as it caters to basic needs as well as luxury segments, with vast potential for exports. The contribution of this sector to Indian economy and its GDP was acknowledged by Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. In a recent meeting with the LSSC team, Hon’ble Minister stated that this sector predominantly focuses on value addition, fashion designing, footwear designing, and exports which is the higher end of the value chain. His statement not only reiterates enormous scope for business and job creation, but it also calls for valuing workforce skills and creating opportunities to improve their productivity and profits.