New Delhi | August 6-8, 2026
Inaugurating the 10th India International Footwear Fair (IIFF) at Bharat Mandapam on August 6, Union Textiles Minister Shri Giriraj Singh made a strong pitch for the industry to lean harder into technical textiles and government support schemes. He noted that a large majority by his estimate, upward of 90% of the material now going into footwear manufacturing is technical textile fabric and urged manufacturers to tap the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme to scale up production, sharpen innovation and push exports further.
The minister framed India’s growing manufacturing base within the global “China Plus One” shift, pointing out that categories once import-dependent are increasingly being produced domestically. He also flagged the consumption gap still on the table: India’s per capita footwear consumption sits at roughly two pairs a year against a global average of 3 to 3.5 pairs, though he drew a parallel to the textile sector, where per capita fabric use has nearly doubled over the past decade, as a sign of the room footwear demand has to grow.
On the show itself, Shri Giriraj Singh called for wider global participation in future editions buyers, exhibitors and investors and said he expects the fair’s international footprint to expand sharply by the next edition, growing well beyond the roughly dozen countries represented this year. He also pressed for closer coordination between manufacturers, technology providers and government agencies, and singled out the non-leather footwear segment as one with particularly strong growth potential for India on the world stage.
Three Days, Two Halls, One Big Trade Push
The footwear trade’s biggest B2B rendezvous is back. This 10th edition of IIFF runs through August 8 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, and once again positions itself as the meeting ground for the entire footwear value chain manufacturers, exporters, importers, sourcing heads, retailers, designers and technology providers, all under one roof for three packed days.
IIFF 2026 is organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Footwear Industries (CIFI) a pairing that continues to lend the fair its institutional weight and industry credibility.
The show floor spans two venues at Bharat Mandapam: Hall No. 5 (Ground Floor) and Hall No. 6. Between them, exhibitors are showcasing everything from finished footwear and components to machinery, chemicals, leather and synthetic materials, and the manufacturing technologies driving the next generation of production.
Alongside the minister, the inaugural ceremony podium featured ITPO Chairman Jawed Ashraf and Managing Director Dr Neeraj Kharwal, alongside the Chairman of CIFI a fitting show of alliance between the government’s trade promotion machinery and the industry body representing India’s footwear manufacturing base.
This edition carries an international flavour too, with exhibitors travelling in from China and Taiwan to join the mix. For Indian buyers and manufacturers, that translates into direct access to overseas sourcing options, technology partnerships and networking that could open new export corridors a two-way street that benefits both global suppliers and domestic industry looking to scale.
IIFF has steadily built its reputation as a launchpad for innovation and export competitiveness in India’s footwear sector, and this year is no different. The fair fits squarely into the government’s larger push to strengthen domestic manufacturing and position India as a serious global hub for footwear production and exports timely, given the sector’s current momentum on trade agreements and manufacturing incentives.
Organisers are expecting a strong turnout across all three days manufacturers, exporters, importers, institutional buyers, sourcing professionals, retailers, distributors and trade associations from India and abroad cementing IIFF’s place as one of the country’s marquee B2B events for footwear.
CIFI was represented at the national level by National President Mr. V. Naushad and Chairman Mr. Raj Kumar Gupta, while the UP Chapter was represented by Chairman Dharmender Narula and Opinder Singh, President of the Confederation of Indian Footwear Industry (CIFI), UP Chapter.
Kothari Industrial Unveils Vision for an Integrated Footwear Ecosystem
Also at Aletta Hall No. 6, Bharat Mandapam, Kothari Industrial Corporation Limited (KICL) used the IIFF platform to present its roadmap for what it’s calling a “world-class 3M footwear and materials ecosystem” developed in collaboration with the International University of Art & Design (IUAD), Milan. The presentation was led by the company’s top leadership, Dr. Jinnah Rafiq Ahmed, Executive Chairman and Managing Director and Dr. N. Mohan, CEO of the Footwear Business, underscoring the strategic weight the company is placing behind the initiative.
The pitch ties together manufacturing, design, education and international partnership under one strategic umbrella, spanning raw materials, advanced production, design innovation and global market access. Its centrepiece is a proposed Kothari (IUAD) International University, envisioned to train talent across five disciplines: footwear design, leather goods design, apparel design, furniture and interior design, and fashion management pairing Indian manufacturing scale with Milan’s design pedigree. The presentation was positioned as a long-term vision statement rather than a funded roadmap. If it moves from ambition to execution, though, it signals a broader industry shift one where Indian footwear players compete not just on production capacity, but on design and talent as well.
