The two countries have signed the MoU with a view to increasing their share of export earning and volume of leather products.

It is a much needed push for the Indian leather manufacturers as they would access one of the best quality raw leather from Ethiopia.

Speaking on the occasion, Shyamal Gupta, Chairman of CII, who is also a member of national committee on leather & leather products, said that “we are delighted to have cooperation with Ethiopia.”

he pointed out that for Ethiopia also it is a much needed agreement as for long it has been a raw leather exporting country.

India can play a support role in capacity building, research and development and making African goods globally more valued and accepted, he added.

For India, leather is a strategic sector which has greater scope for employment generation as it is labour intensive. Approximately 2.4 million people are at present engaged in the leather sector.

Emphasis has been laid on the private sector as an engine of growth in Ethiopia, the web site quoted an Advisor from Ethiopia as having said.

He said exports led industrialization, greater use of local resources and strengthening of the labour intensive technology are some of the important issues.

R-10:43-11:08 A.M

E-10:09-1049 AM

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