IFCOMA’s Sanjay Gupta becomes the first Indian footwear and components sector representative invited to speak at the SIMAC Tanning Tech opening ceremony, as the show closes with strong growth in Milan.
Milan, Italy — SIMAC Tanning Tech 2026, held jointly with Lineapelle 108, opened at Fiera Milano Rho on 15 September with a notable first for the Indian footwear industry: Sanjay Gupta, President of the Indian Footwear Components Manufacturers Association (IFCOMA), was invited to speak at the joint opening ceremony reportedly the first time a representative of India’s footwear and components sector has addressed the platform from the dais.
Gupta shared the stage with a distinguished international line-up, including Mauro Bergozza, President of ASSOMAC; Alessandro Iliprandi, President of UNIC Italian Tanneries; Roberto Luongo, Advisor to Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; a representative of the Italian Trade Agency; Ahmed Maghawry of Egypt’s Ministry of Industry; and Daniel Risafi, Coordinador General of ACCAL.
“A Proud Moment for the Industry”
In his address, Gupta called the invitation “a proud moment personally, and also a significant moment for our industry,” pointing to it as a sign of deepening trade ties between India and Italy in leather and footwear.
He described IFCOMA as the representative body for India’s footwear components sector spanning 32 categories including soles, insoles, heels, moulds, uppers, trims, adhesives and chemicals and framed the opportunity for Indian and Italian companies in complementary terms: India’s manufacturing scale, market size and skilled workforce, paired with Italy’s strength in technology, machinery and design.
Gupta cited India’s Ministry of Commerce targets for the leather sector US$30 billion in exports by 2030 and US$50 billion by 2047 as evidence of the scale of opportunity ahead for Italian technology and machinery companies looking to partner in India. He called for collaboration to extend beyond machinery trade into technology transfer, joint ventures, new materials and long-term partnerships, and thanked ASSOMAC and the Italian Trade Agency on behalf of IFCOMA India.
Show Closes with Double-Digit Growth
The 2026 edition delivered strong numbers across the combined Milan show week. Lineapelle 108 hosted 1,029 exhibitors and drew 22,800 trade visitors including more than 17,000 buyers, up 10% on September 2025 with 43% of visitors arriving from overseas, representing 114 countries. SIMAC Tanning Tech reported more than 7% growth in trade visitors and buyers over the previous year, with double-digit growth in overall attendance. Across the wider “Fashion Link” showcase Micam, Mipel, Milano Fashion & Jewels, TheOneMilano and SIMAC Tanning Tech, staged alongside Lineapelle total trade visitor footfall reached 37,000.
Beyond the exhibition floor, the show ran an extensive talks programme covering innovation, sustainability, artificial intelligence, materials research, traceability and evolving markets, alongside SIMAC Tanning Tech’s continued focus on automation and AI-driven production technology for tanning and footwear manufacturing.
For IFCOMA, the appearance marks a step-change in India’s visibility at one of the leather and footwear machinery industry’s most important international platforms opening a direct line to ASSOMAC, UNIC and the Italian Trade Agency for follow-up on joint ventures and technology partnerships as India’s leather sector pursues its next decade of export growth.
