KANPUR Just like Italy, which boasts many of the best tanneries in the world, Kanpur will also have a mega leather cluster, says Rizwan Ashraf, who is investing ₹5,880 crore in the district for the big-ticket project.
Rizwan joined his father’s leather business in 1984. He was just 19 at the time. “My father started the leather business in Kanpur in 1957. He had shifted to the district from Gorakhpur. I joined his business while I was still a student at the Christ Church College. I was enamoured with the process that leads to finished product. It was my driving force, my passion,” he said.
In a few years of Rizwan joining his father’s business, the company recorded significant uptick in revenue. The finished leather products were being exported to almost all the continents. Now, Rizwan is eying to start a mega project with a renewed vigour.
“We will develop a mega leather cluster in Ramaipur, which is in South Kanpur, with an investment of ₹5,880 crore. The cluster would have 354 units -- including 225 tanneries and the remaining units will be for makers of shoe, saddlery, belts, and garments. This would be the biggest in North India,” Rizwan added.
However, Rizwan regrets that the current cluster of tanneries in Jajmau has stagnated and offering little scope. “Any industry needs growth to survive and compete but the capacity of existing treatment plants cannot be increased. Also, land is not available for the new units,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}However, Rizwan regrets that the current cluster of tanneries in Jajmau has stagnated and offering little scope. “Any industry needs growth to survive and compete but the capacity of existing treatment plants cannot be increased. Also, land is not available for the new units,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}The dynamic entrepreneur saw a silver lining when the Union government, in 2012, proposed setting up of seven mega leather clusters and made budgetary provisions. “The decision caught our eye and we discussed it with promoters and our directors. This was the solution we were looking for. We worked hard all these years to make it happen. It will be a reality soon,” said Rizwan.
Talking about his mega leather cluster, Rizwan said, “The cluster would have state-of-the-art treatment plants, each for chrome recovery, salted water and fleshing on the lines of Italy. Those setting up their units would not be provided land but a building complex. So, they would just need machines to start work. We expect the cluster will provide 2 lakh jobs.”