AAFA announces trade mission visit to India in October

29 Sep '05

4 min read

The American Apparel and Footwear Association is delighted to announce that we will be taking a footwear trade mission to India this fall, and that Killick Datta, owner and chairman of GBMI (Global Brand Marketing, Inc. -- Pony, Nautica, XOXO, Dry Shod, Diesel, and Mecca) will be leading it. Killick is the Chairman of the Footwear Division, is on the Executive Committee and the Board of AAFA, and was born in India.

He sources footwear and apparel from India and has a wholly owned subsidiary to market its products in India at wholesale and is opening a chain of its own retail outlets. There can be no one better than Killick to show us the best of the Indian Footwear Industry.

The Council for Leather Exports is sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, and is the premier body assisting the rapidly growing Indian leather industry. It is committed to promoting the growth of the Indian Leather Industry in the global market through the adoption of modern, transparent and superior industry practices.

With over 82 percent of all footwear sold in the US coming from China, we thought it a good idea to explore other sourcing options in Asia. India is now the 10th largest supplier to the US (fourth largest in men's leather shoes), and is the only country besides Vietnam that is increasing its exports to the US in the face of constantly increasing imports from China. India has footwear production centers in Agra, Ambur, Chennai,Delhi, Kanpur, Mumbai and Ranipet and we will see almost all of them. India has a lot going for it in the footwear arena.

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