Vaishali (Bihar): Long before Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday landed in Russia for his maiden visit to the country in his third term, Indian 'footprints' have been already in the erstwhile USSR. As Russia fights a protracted war with Ukraine, shoes manufactured at the industrial area in Bihar's Hajipur are the first choice of the Russian soldiers for their comfort and longevity.
Be it the battlefield or the snowy ground, the Russian army trusts the specially made shoes of Hajipur as they protect the feet of the Russian soldiers very well even in the bone-chilling cold.
Shiv Kumar Roy, General Manager of Competence Exports Pvt Ltd said they started the shoe manufacturing in Hajipur in 2018 with the main objective being to generate local employment. “In Hajipur, we make safety shoes, which are to be exported to Russia. The total export is for Russia and we are gradually moving towards the European market and will soon launch in the domestic market as well,” Roy said.
Over the priority to import the shoes to the Russian Army, Roy said, ''The Russian army needs lightweight, slip-resistant shoes that should be able to withstand extreme weather conditions like -40 degrees Celsius. Keeping that in mind, we make safety shoes. Not only in Hajipur, we are India's largest exporter to Russia and we hope that this number will increase day by day,” Roy said.
Exports Worth Crores Through Women Empowerment: Roy said that they are trying their best to provide maximum employment to women adding 70% of the 300 employees at the shoe manufacturing unit are women. “We exported 1.5 million pairs last year, worth Rs 100 crore and hope to expand with a growth of 50 percent next year,” he added.
Fashionable Shoes In Europe: Mazhar Pallumiya, Head of Fashion Development and Marketing, Competence Exports Pvt Ltd, said France, Italy, Spain and the UK are their major target countries. “Our goal is to develop high-end shoes for international brands. We have recently started holding a Belgian company. Initially, the foreign companies had some doubts, but when they got the sample, they were convinced,” Mazhar said.
"We are expecting some companies to visit the factory next month. Starting a fashion industry in Bihar and especially Hajipur is a challenge but the vision of the promoter and the government support have convinced us to move forward in this direction, " added Mazhar.
