It is estimated that about 2.5 million people are employed directly in Indian leather sector. The conversion of leather into products is skill based and labor intensive. It is recognized that perceived growth of leather sector in India could lead to creation of new jobs and additional income to a vast majority of people engaged in the leather industry. Such benefits relating to employment and social income are realizable only if income generation from the Indian leather industry is optimized. One of the factors limiting the realization of income potentials of Indian leather industry has been traced to an absence of technology culture. Whereas Indian leather sector may enjoy an access to technologies of global standards, the manufacturing chain involving a large number of workers does not possess the required level of technology culture.

Under the Tenth Plan programme of India , the Government of India has commissioned the HRD Mission for Leather with a view to enable generation of technology culture. Department of Industry Policy & Promotion (DIPP) is the line Department linking the HRD Mission for Leather to the Government of India.

Total of about 54 institutions are engaged in imparting secondary skills and training in the country. There appears to be a wide variation in standards of skills imparted and teaching methods employed. Standardization and upgradation of quality of teachers and trainers engaged in imparting secondary skills and expertise form another area of need.

Primary objective of the proposed HRD mission on leather is to spread and sustain a technology culture in the Indian leather sector. Since technology elements will continuously change, a preparedness to update technology systems is part of technology culture. Specific secondary objectives of HRD mission on leather are

To provide S&T tools to empower the social segments engaged in the leather industry by employing pedagogy methods suited to each sub segment of the primary work force engaged already in Indian leather industry

To assess the needs of training institutions engaged in development of secondary level work force in Indian leather sector for imparting a technology culture in vocational training

To enhance the role and value of tertiary education bodies engaged in technology management systems to levels of global eminence and enable strategic positioning of Indian leather professionals in global leather trade.

Central Leather Research Institute, is a constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research founded in April 1948 and has been engaged in education and training directly since inception. Alumni of CLRI man and manage nearly 60% of the Indian leather processing industry. The institute is engaged in training and development of manpower in all sub segments starting from training of flayers and those engaged in primary collection of raw materials to training of designers for the product industries. The institute enjoys credibility as the mother training body.

CLRI is the largest leather research institute in the world and is rated among the best in development of technologies. Technology support provided by CLRI in overcoming the environmental challenge by the tanning industry in Tamil Nadu and in positioning Indian in leadership status in fashion forecasting at the Modeurop are indicators of the strength of CLRI. It is an empowered technology body. A unique strength has been displayed by CLRI in envisioning the HRD mission and in undertaking the role of implementing agency.

Basic approach for implementing the HRD mission on leather is as follows

Enroll a matching technology delivery system for each learner target engaged in primary, secondary and tertiary functions of the Indian leather trade

Ensure the reach of the appropriate technologies by engaging a set of leather professionals for tutoring and mentoring at work places

Provide a motivation for learners by involving an open university or other suitable agency to certify the qualified personnel

Provide motivation to employers to invest into vocational training of employees by demonstrating improvements in productivity and cost benefit analysis.

Work elements of HRD mission on leather are

Selection of right technologies for matching the need of the learner target and product quality

Identification of training methods and course materials to suit the needs of a diverse learner targets of the Indian leather sector engaged in primary, secondary and tertiary functions with respect to technology systems

Target about 15% of the work force engaged in various sub functions of the Indian leather industry namely primary collection of raw materials, tanning, finished leather production, fabrication of value added products and develop suitable training modules for upgradation of their technology systems

Enrolling required number of NGOs and other agencies for spreading technology systems at the district and block levels

Enrolling open universities and agencies engaged in distance education for development of tools and techniques of training in technology systems based on visual communication of benefits of improved technology methods

Enrolling Indian manufacturing systems in organized sector to invest upon the improvement of Vocational Qualification of Workers through distance education mode

Engaging a series of social workers, tutors and mentors who provide contact education and training at places of work for primary work force

Assessing the training and teaching needs of training bodies engaged in vocational training of secondary level work force and augment their capacities by providing technology tools and systems

Networking academic bodies engaged in tertiary education and training in leather sector and provide a technology management orientation by customizing the educational needs to suit the industrial sector

Training programs need to reach a large number of people within four years. This would call for concurrent efforts of several organizations and the application of different training tools. Total number of trainees targeted is 1,50,000 in three years.

Since the task ahead is large and scope of work is diverse, it is proposed to network all the potential and willing training institutions in leather in the country

The proposed time schedules, number of proposed training programs and delivery of milestones for various training programs have been presented in Table.

Total budget allocation for implementation of HRD provided by Government of India is Rs 10.00 crore.

The day-to-day implementation of various programmes will be implemented by the Programme Implementation Unit (PIU). The PIU will enable networking and linkages with other Working Committees and provide inputs to the Steering Committee.

It is also proposed to constitute a Programme Monitoring System (PMS) to enable periodic review and monitoring of progress under the scheme. The monitoring System will be institutionalized through CLRI and FDDI. PMS will provide a continuous and close monitoring support to PIU and Steering Committee during the implementation phase such that course corrections are feasible through the programme implementation and the benefits can be quantified.

Central Leather Research Institute envisages accrual of benefits in phased manner. A time lag between the implementation of HRD mission and development of technology culture culminating in tangible benefits need to be expected. A time lag of about 3 years is reasonable. In order that some reliable estimates are made about the impact of HRD mission, a select number of counterparts will be employed for pilot testing the accrual of benefits. It is planned that base line study will be made in some select industrial units in the organized sector before the implementation of the mission at all stages including the quality of raw materials sourced by the unit. Through a planned intervention, technology improvements in their supply chain will be made and the consequences of the technology implementation on the arrival of raw materials will be assessed. For each training program about 5% of the target group will be used as an indicator for benefit assessment. Expected benefits of the HRD mission should include an increase in the unit value realisation of the leather sector by at least 25%.

All stateholders in Indian Leather Sector, both private and public sector qualify for support subject to making available counterpart funding to a level of not less than 15% Developmental agencies in the Governmental and non Governmental sector may participate in supporting artisanal work force.

Proposals on HRD related projects in duplicate may be sent to Director, CLRI.