India, March 6 -- KANPUR The industrial heart of Kanpur is facing a burgeoning logistical nightmare as escalating tensions in West Asia have severed critical international trade routes. Local exporters reported that approximately Rs.500 crore worth of high-value goods are currently stranded mid-ocean with no clear timeline for delivery.

Kanpur exports a wide range of leather goods and food items to Israel, Iran and several Gulf countries, and the crisis is hitting the leather and food processing sectors particularly hard. The city recorded exports worth Rs.10,401 crore in FY 2024-25, a new high. In the first six months of the current financial year, exports stood at Rs.4,287.25 crore, driven largely by leather and leather products, helpi...