Last year, the company exported 1.5 million pairs of shoes worth Rs 100 crore and they aim to increase exports by 50% in the coming year.
“Not only in Hajipur, we are India’s largest exporter to Russia and the export volumes are expected to expand day by day,” said Shib Kumar Roy, general manager of the plant.
Roy said the safety shoes manufactured for the Russian army are designed to be “lightweight, non-slip, have special soles and can withstand extreme weather conditions such as -40 degrees Celsius.”
“We launched the Hajipur factory in 2018 with the main purpose of creating local employment opportunities. In Hajipur, the safety shoes we produce are exported to Russia. All exports are for Russia, and we are also slowly working on Europe and many countries. It will be launched in the domestic market soon,” Roy told news agency ANI.
Danesh Prasad, managing director of the company, aims to set up a world-class factory in Bihar and contribute to employment in the state. Of the plant’s 300 employees, 70% are women.
In addition to safety shoes, the Hajipur factory also exports luxury designer or fashion shoes to European markets, including Italy, France, Spain and the United Kingdom. Mazhar Pallumiah, the company’s head of fashion development and marketing, noted that although foreign companies had initial reservations, they were reassured after receiving samples. The company expects some corporate visits next month.
“Our goal is to develop high-end footwear for international brands. We have also recently started negotiations with a Belgian company,” said Mazhar Pallumiah, the company’s head of fashion development and marketing.
While the Bihar government has been supportive of industry, Roy believes improved infrastructure such as roads and communications are necessary to facilitate communication with Russian buyers. He also stressed the need for skilled human resources and suggested setting up training institutions to provide skilled workers.
“We also need ready skilled labor and for this, a training institute should be set up so that we can get skilled labor, otherwise we have to train workers before hiring them,” he said.
