§1What this business is
Upper and lining parts are clicked from graded patterns, skived, folded and stitched, eyelets are fixed and the upper is lasted by machine or by hand. A rubber sole is attached, and the boots are finished on a combined finishing machine, stamped and packed. The profile uses imported forepart and side-and-seat lasting machines with Indian clicking, skiving and sewing machines, and says export orders come with the buyer's own specifications. Chrome upper leather, lining leather and vegetable-tanned sole leather follow BIS standards listed in the profile.
Capacity: 30,000 pairs a year (single shift, 25 days a month).
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A footwear technician or someone in a shoe cluster such as Agra, Kanpur or Chennai with export contacts.
Who it is not for
Someone without footwear training or a buyer for boots.
Advantages
- Footwear is one of India's main export earners
- Leather and labour are available locally
- Welted boots sell at a higher price per pair
- Rented premises keep fixed cost low
Drawbacks
- Lasting machines are imported and costly
- Needs skilled closers and lasters
- Export buyers set their own specifications
- Large working capital for leather stock
Skills you need
- Pattern cutting and grading
- Closing and lasting
- Welting and sole attaching
- Export order handling
Why difficulty 3/5: Skilled labour and imported machines, but a known cluster trade.
§3Market
Who buys
- Overseas footwear importers
- Footwear wholesalers and retailers in India
- Export houses placing job orders
How it sells
- Export orders through buying agents
- Domestic wholesalers
- Retail chains
Good to know
- The profile cites footwear and leather goods as a major foreign-exchange earner and says boot exports rise every year.
- It says no Indian standard covers this boot; export orders carry the buyer's specifications.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Forepart lasting machine (imported) | 1 | ₹7,00,000 |
| Side and seat lasting machine (imported) | 1 | ₹8,00,000 |
| Clicking press | 1 | ₹1,00,000 |
| Skiving machine | 1 | ₹60,000 |
| Combined finishing machine | 1 | ₹55,000 |
| Flat-bed industrial sewing machines | 4 | ₹36,000 |
| Wooden lasts | 200 pairs | ₹40,000 |
From: DC-MSME project profile — Gents Leather Long Boot (Welted) (2003)
- Upper leather87,500 dcm a month at ₹4 per dcm
- Softy lining leather50,000 dcm a month at ₹2.50 per dcm
- Vegetable-tanned sole leather for insole, toe puff and stiffener875 kg a month at ₹100 a kg
- Rubber soles500 sheets a month at ₹350 a sheet
From: DC-MSME project profile — Gents Leather Long Boot (Welted) (2003)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Abdul Khander and Co · Chennai →Allied Resin Chemicals Ltd · Kolkata →Bharani Agencies · Chennai →Farida Prime Tannery · Chennai →Golden Chemicals (P) Ltd · Mumbai →Harman Sales Union · Mumbai →Indogil Chemicals Industries · Mumbai →Modi Threads · Meerut →Pidilite Industries Ltd · Chennai →Shafeeq Shameed and Co · Chennai →Swastic Chemicals Industries (P) Ltd · Mumbai →Synfhokem Industries · Chennai →
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam
- GST
- BIS certification where the footwear Quality Control Order covers your product
- Trade licence
- Importer-Exporter Code for exports
§6Schemes & subsidies
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
- Stand-Up IndiaCentralClosed₹10 lakh – ₹1 crore loan
At ₹52 lakh the project is just above PMEGP's ₹50 lakh limit; CGTMSE (collateral-free guarantee) and Stand-Up India (₹10 lakh–₹1 crore for SC/ST and women) fit.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: DC-MSME profile: machinery and equipment ₹21.88 L (imported forepart lasting ₹7.00 L and side-and-seat lasting ₹8.00 L) + pre-operative ₹0.12 L = fixed capital ₹22.00 L; working capital for 3 months ₹30.32 L; total ₹52.32 L. Premises rented at ₹10,000 a month.
Working capital: ₹30.32 L for 3 months; raw materials cost ₹8.20 L a month (upper leather ₹3.50 L, rubber soles ₹1.75 L).
Prices from 2003 — machinery, land and raw-material costs will be much higher now.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: Council for Leather Exports (CLE)
- Buyers abroad often ask for social and chemical compliance audits.
- Confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker before shipping.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Leather price swings
- Rejection of export lots
- Dependence on a few buyers
- Fashion shifts away from long boots
§1030 / 60 / 90-day plan
A general plan that applies to any business. A plan for this business will be added after research.
- Days 1–30: Visit a working gents' leather long boots (welted) unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam, GST), a project report (DPR), and the scheme or loan file.
- Days 61–90: Space and machines, trial production, and first deliveries to 10 customers.
§11Who to connect with
Associations, clusters and training institutes — the directory is being built. Connect
§12Watch
There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.
Want to start Gents' Leather Long Boots (Welted)?
DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.
¶Sources
Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.