The story
Tanners and leather workers from Tamil Nadu and other parts of India settled in Dharavi in the early 1900s, when the area was on the edge of the city. Tanning was later pushed out because of pollution rules, but the finishing work stayed: cutting, stitching and making bags, belts, shoes and jackets. Dharavi's showrooms along 90 Feet Road sell to shoppers and to bulk buyers, and many export houses give job-work to its units.
In numbers
The Dharavi Leather Goods Cluster (SPV: Dharavi Leather Goods Cluster Private Ltd) had 100 functional units, a turnover of about Rs 1,500 lakh and employment of 1,000.
Brief Industrial Profile of Mumbai District, MSME-DI (Ministry of MSME) · 2012Principal products of the cluster: ladies' handbags, footwear and safety shoes, sofa sets and other leather products.
Brief Industrial Profile of Mumbai District, MSME-DI (Ministry of MSME) · 2012
Ways in for a newcomer
- Job-work stitching for brands and export houses
- Online selling of handmade leather bags and wallets
- Supply of finished leather, zips, buckles and linings to workshops
- Corporate gifting: diaries, wallets and laptop bags
Problems the cluster faces
- Dharavi redevelopment may move units
- Cramped space, fire risk and poor working conditions
- Cheap imports and synthetic leather
- Mostly informal units with little access to bank credit
Businesses to start here
Leather Bag Making →Leather Wallets and Purses →Leather Waist Belt Making →Leather Shoe Manufacturing →Leather Jacket Making →Footwear & Leather Goods Unit →