Vellore Ambur Leather Tanning Footwear Export Tamil Nadu

Vellore district and the Ambur-Ranipet belt are India's leather processing capital, with an estimated 300+ tanneries and 3,000+ footwear units producing 30% of India's leather footwear exports — primarily handstitched leather shoes, boots, sandals, and uppers for global brands. The Ambur leather cluster employs over 200,000 workers, predominantly Muslim artisans whose leather craft tradition predates colonialism, and supplies leather goods to Europe (particularly Spain, Italy, and Germany) and North America. Tamil Nadu's leather industry uses chrome tanning technology at major tanneries alongside traditional vegetable tanning for eco-leather products; the Palar river bank's tannery effluent has been a major environmental concern requiring zero liquid discharge compliance.