New Delhi, July 7 -- Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Monday called on the leather and footwear industry to target at least USD 15 billion in exports over the next five to six years, urging manufacturers to leverage India's expanding network of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), diversify export markets and strengthen quality, design and branding.

Addressing the Council for Leather Exports National Export Excellence Awards 2024-25 in New Delhi, Goyal said the sector, which currently exports leather and footwear worth around USD 4-4.5 billion, has the potential to achieve three-fold growth.

He said the India-UK FTA will come into force on July 15, while the legal review of the India-EU FTA is expected to be completed wi...