The story
Patna has a long tradition of small leather-footwear workshops run by family artisans. They make shoes, chappals and sandals mainly for markets in Bihar and neighbouring states. The district profile counts it among Patna's major MSE clusters.
In numbers
The Patna leather footwear cluster had 1,500 functional units, a turnover of Rs. 840 lakh and employment of 10,000.
Brief Industrial Profile of Patna District, MSME-DI Patna, Ministry of MSME · 2012
Ways in for a newcomer
- Supply soles, uppers and components to small makers
- Common-brand footwear sold through Bihar's retail chains
- School and institutional shoe contracts
Problems the cluster faces
- Competition from Agra, Kanpur and Chinese footwear
- Old tools and low productivity
- Weak access to finance
Businesses to start here
Leather Shoe Manufacturing →Leather Sandals with PU Sole →Footwear & Leather Goods Unit →Sports Footwear Unit →Injection-Moulded Leather Shoes (PVC Sole) →