Friends, after China, India is the largest footwear producer. The footwear sector in India is fragmented and close to 75% of production comes from the unorganized sector, which include micro, small, medium enterprises (MSMEs). According to market experts Kanpur,Agra, Ranipet, Vaniyambadi, and Ambur are the top footwear production hubs in the country.
Today, urbanisation, higher disposable incomes and media influence are changing the needs of consumers and dictating the types of footwear these hubs produce for brands. Dominant players in the organized markets include Bata, Nike, Adidas, Puma, etc. But consumers’ tastes are changing so rapidly that scores of INDIAN FOOTWEAR BRANDS, both old and new, are innovating their products and trying to capture the market
Here are Five Indian brands that are making a mark in the market:
1 Woodland
It is highly sought-after brand which has Indian roots. Aero Group, the parent company off Woodland, was founded by Avatar Singh in Quebec, Canada in the 1980s. At that time company manufactured winter boots for Canada and USSR. Aero Group’s business was at peak until the 1990s, when USSR disintegrated.
In 1992, Aero Group decided to enter India after seeing te developing market conditions and the opening up of exclusive retail outlets and mall culture. Woodland was thus launched by the Aero Group.
Today, Woodland’s products are manufactured and assembled across various countries for easy exports. Major manufacturing is done in India in Noida. The leather is sourced from tanneries in Jalandhar, Punjab. The company also has collaborations with vendors in Bangladesh, China, and Taiwan, for the sourcing of SKUs. The raw material for shoes, including soles are manufactured in-house. German technology is used to manufacture tough rubber soles.
Woodland has over 600 exclusive stores across the country along with shelf space in 5500 multi-brands outlets. The company’s latest turnover is Rs 1250 Cr.
2 Lakhani
1n 1966, Parmeshwar Dayal Lakhani, founded Lakhani, a Made in India, premium footwear company that still has a name in Indian households. However, in mid-2000s with the entry of multi-national brands in the Indian footwear market, Lakhani, which once held a major percentage of share in the industry, faded into oblivion.
Then, Mayank Lakhani, the second-generation of Lakhanis, revamped the company’s traditional business model. He initiated the concept of brand sourcing in Lakhani Infinity, where products were manufactured by outside suppliers, and the team ensured strict quality inspection and compliance.
Now the company sources raw material from Delhi/NCR and rubber is sourced from South India. Some of company’s products include sports shoes, canvas shoes, slippers, sandals, hawai chappals and other premier-quality footwear. Their turnover is around Rs 250 Cr.
3 SKO
Founder of SKO is Nishant Kanodia, who used to work abroad as investment banker for 13 years, His family was running footwear business for over 30 years, and so it was natural for Nishant to consider entering in this sector after returning to India. As per Nishant, when he returned to India, “ there was lack of clean aesthetic when it came to footwear. So I wanted to start a footwear brand that used premium quality raw material focusing on durability, comfort and design rather than volume”.
In 2018, SKO, a luxury footwear label with Scandinavian design aesthetics of clean looks was launched. The premium positioning has worked well for SKO, which clocked Rs 1.5 Cr within a year after launch. SKO makes sneakers, mules, sandals, and loafers for men, and flats and heels for women. All these footwear products are designed in SKO’s studio in Mumbai. The products are manufactured in a large size unit in Dehradun.
4 Red Chief
Manoj Gyanchandani, in 1995 st up Leayan Global Private Limited (LGPL) to export leather to Europe. However two years later, he realized that the Indian footwear market is not organized in leathershoe sector. Wrapping up the export business, he studied the market and launched ‘Red Chief’ brand under the parent company LGPL.
Initially Manoj showcased the products of Red Chief oin multi-branded outlet across the Kanpur city. In 2010, Red Chief expanded to multi-branded outlets in other states. In 2011, first exclusive Red Chief store was opened in Kanpur. Today, the company has 175 stores located across 16 states including UP, MP, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Chhatisgarh. It is also present in over 3000 multi-brand outlets. The company’s turnover is around Rs 350 Cr.
5 Inc.5
When designing a shoe, finding the sweet spot between style and comfort is often a tall order. Almas Nanda also found this to be troubling, and she wanted to have both. In 1998, when she was just 24 years old, she started Inc.5 t provide women with stylish footwear that did not compromise on comfort.
Almas’ brother Amin Virji, MD of Inc.5 recalls how they started fron one store in Heera Panna Shopping Centre in Mumbai and took the brand’s presence to 54 exclusive stores across India. He says, “ Our grandfather launched ‘Regal Shoes’ in 1954. It was family-run business, but we were limited to basic and formal footwear. In 1998, we though of exploring the opportunity in the untapped footwear market that provides good-looking footwear with comfort. Hence Inc.5 was launched.”
In 2001, Regal Shoes and Inc.5 were merged to form Inc.5 Shoes Private Ltd. With a strong presence in Tier I and Tier II cities, including Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Kanpur and Pune, today Inc.5 has turnover of Rs 175+ Cr. At present, it imports a few raw materials from China, Vietnam, and Taiwan and gives contract order to factories located in Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Chennai, and other places.
A small beginning by Indian Footwear brands in the global market.
Waiting for your feedback on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
11th February 2025