Agra: Union Minister Piyush Goyal will inaugurate the three-day 'International Footwear Fair Meet 2022' at Agra in Uttar Pradesh on Friday. The fair meet which is being held in the district after about two years will be inaugurated by Goyal at around 4.30 pm on Friday at Agra Trade Center Singna located on Agra Delhi Highway.
Industry veterans from across the country and the world are expected to participate and share their experience at the event to promote the local shoe industry in the international market. 'Meet At Agra 2022' is the 14th edition of the promotional event aimed at promoting international leather footwear and machinery technology in which stalls of more than 225 shoe traders from 45 countries of the world will be set up.
The traders will introduce the shoe business of Agra to the new technology by showcasing their products in the three-day international fair meet. The event is also expected to provide industry exposure to the students of the colleges and encourage entrepreneurship among the youth. More than 20,000 exhibitors are expected to attend the fair this year.
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There are more than 12,000 small and big shoe units in Agra which contribute to 65 per cent of domestic shoe production. Besides, Agra has a 28 per cent share in the country's shoe exports. Puran Davar, President of Agra Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters Chamber (FMEC), said that the fair meet is expected to generate an income of Rs 30,000 crore in the district.
“Along with this, we also aim to make Agra the footwear capital of the world instead of China. World's largest conglomerate Walmart, Future Group, Tata, Reliance, Bata and others have stopped imports from China. All these groups are dependent on Indian products and in this direction there is an effort to provide technical support through this fair,” he said.
Davar said the fair meet will expose thousands of shoe units of Agra and lakhs of shoe artisans to the modern technology and benefit them. FMEC Convener Captain AS Rana said that the three-day International Footwear Fair Meet at Agra will be attended by Union Minister of State SP Singh Baghel, UP Cabinet Minister Yogendra Upadhyay and MP Rajkumar Chahar.
Distinguished exporting entrepreneurs will be honored at the International Shoes Fair. FMEC General Secretary Rajiv Vasan said that there will be a technical session on October 8 at the International Shoes Fair in which experts from all over the world will share their experiences.
