Tamil Nadu's Footwear Manufacturing Landscape Undergoes Major Geographic Transformation
Every single day, a massive fleet of approximately 350 dedicated vehicles travels a 20-kilometer route across Cheyyar, a town situated roughly 100 kilometers from Chennai. This daily logistical operation ferries thousands of workers to one of India's largest and most significant footwear manufacturing facilities. Promoted by the Taiwan-based Feng Tay Group, this factory alone employs about 25,000 individuals, with a substantial majority being women. It specializes in producing non-leather footwear for leading global athletic brands, most notably Nike.
A Turning Point for Tiruvannamalai District
This project represents a definitive turning point for Tiruvannamalai district, an area historically regarded as industrially backward. This development is particularly notable as, traditionally, the bulk of Tamil Nadu's footwear manufacturing activity has been heavily concentrated in the established Chennai–Ranipet–Vaniyambadi–Ambur industrial belt. Today, the state's entire footwear sector is experiencing a profound geographic shift. Large-scale non-leather footwear projects are now decisively moving to the western and central regions of Tamil Nadu.
A Wave of Investment Reshapes Production and Employment
A powerful wave of investments is actively reshaping the production landscape while simultaneously generating large-scale employment opportunities, particularly for women in smaller towns and rural regions. Beyond the Cheyyar facility, High Glory Footwear India, a subsidiary of Taiwan's Pou Chen Corporation, has established operations in Kallakurichi. Freetrend (Dean Shoes) is expanding its presence in Ariyalur, and Kothari Industrial Corporation Ltd (KICL) is setting up a new manufacturing facility in Karur.
According to R. Selvam, Executive Director of the Council for Leather Exports (CLE), Tamil Nadu has attracted investments worth approximately ₹12,000 crore in the leather and non-leather footwear sector over the past two to three years. "This investment momentum will continue," Selvam stated. He explained that as traditional industrial corridors become saturated with sectors like automobiles and electronics, non-leather footwear companies are exploring central and western districts. The sector's advantage is that it does not require highly technical manpower; workers can be effectively trained within a period ranging from three months to two years, depending on specific job requirements.
Policy Support Drives Inclusive Growth
Israr Ahmed, former Vice-President of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) and Managing Director of Farida Group, emphasized that policy support has played a crucial role in directing these investments into emerging districts. "Under the Tamil Nadu Leather and Footwear Products Policy 2022, incentives such as subsidised land in SIPCOT industrial parks, higher turnover subsidies for non-leather units in less-developed regions, and other support measures have successfully drawn investments to districts like Perambalur, Ariyalur, Karur, and Kallakurichi," Ahmed said. He added that this strategic approach promotes inclusive regional growth and has the potential to create up to one million jobs in the sector over the coming few years.
Empowering Women and Boosting the Economy
This industrial expansion has significantly increased women's participation in manufacturing employment. Non-leather footwear production is notably labour-intensive, generating large-scale jobs compared to many other industries, and it does not typically require heavy physical labour. In the financial year 2024-25, India's domestic leather and non-leather footwear industry recorded an impressive turnover of about $19 billion, with exports contributing $5.6 billion. Tamil Nadu accounts for nearly 38% of the country's combined domestic and export turnover, solidifying its position as the largest contributor.
Nationally, women constitute around 40% of the footwear workforce. However, in Tamil Nadu, their participation rises dramatically to nearly 90% in the leather products and footwear segment, as noted by Selvam. N. Mohan, CEO–Footwear at KICL, highlighted a global trend, stating, "Across major shoe-producing countries such as South Africa, Italy, Spain, and China, women form a significant share of the factory workforce and also represent a dominant consumer segment in the global fashion industry." He further explained, "Women are often preferred in this industry because of their innate sense of quality, patience, and meticulous attention to detail in production processes. Growth in this sector not only supports economic development but also powerfully contributes to women's empowerment and workplace inclusivity."
The Greenfield Labour Advantage
Yavar Dhala, Vice-President of the Indian Shoe Federation and CEO of Infinite Leather, identified the availability of greenfield labour as a key factor driving projects to central and western districts. "The philosophy of athletic non-leather footwear manufacturers is straightforward — they prefer greenfield labour without prior exposure to traditional footwear manufacturing," Dhala said. "Companies want to train workers from the ground up in global best practices. Workers in these newer districts are fresh entrants who can be more easily aligned with organisational culture and modern production systems."
For most companies, the minimum educational qualification required is SSLC (Class X). Ahmed detailed the training infrastructure, noting that investors have established on-site training centres and partnered with central and state skill sector councils to train workers from rural areas. Experts from renowned footwear institutions in Tamil Nadu provide hands-on training. Furthermore, supervisors, managers, and trainers are frequently sent abroad for advanced exposure before they train local employees. "They are typically sent to leading manufacturing hubs like Vietnam, China, and sometimes Indonesia," Ahmed added.
This strategic shift marks a new chapter for Tamil Nadu's industrial story, decentralizing economic activity, empowering a female workforce, and solidifying the state's dominance in a critical global industry.
