Not a company to rest on its achievements, Intertek, a leading provider of quality and safety services to industries around the world, is always looking for ways to support industry in its efforts to be globally compliant. In a continuation of those efforts, the company recently inaugurated a comprehensive leather and footwear testing facility in Chennai to support the country’s leather, footwear and leather goods industries. The new laboratory will offer a full range of safety and performance testing services to leather manufacturers in Southeast India. The lab was inaugurated by Padma Shri Mecca Rafeeque Ahmed, Chairman of the Council for Leather Exports (CLE) and Farida Group.
With specialized testing capabilities for strength, water spotting, colorfastness testing and chemical analysis, this lab will be a central destination and one-stop shop for testing and certification services. This new leather and footwear testing lab will provide a competitive edge to regional clients who require high standards of quality and safety for their products, while ensuring they accomplish acceptable standards for global buyers. “Intertek’s expansion in India has seen a vertical and horizontal growth over the years and the Chennai lab is another milestone achievement towards our overall business objective. Our main aim to set up this lab was to provide our valuable customers across the region with quality testing and certification which is our core strength, thus helping them manufacture quality products and meet the requirements of the end-consumers. I am sure this strategic move will meet the expectations of our customers across the region,” said Rajesh Saigal, Regional Managing Director, Intertek South Asia at the inauguration.
Key highlights of the new lab
- Specialized leather and footwear testing laboratory for the region
- State-of-the-art equipment and techniques
- Testing facilities available exclusively for fashion footwear
- Will be a one-stop destination for testing variety of leather goods
The company has over the years earned a reputation of being very proactive. From auditing and inspection to testing, training, advisory, quality assurance and certification, Intertek adds value for its customers by helping improve the quality and safety of their products, assets and processes. With a network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 38,000 people in more than 100 countries, Intertek supports companies’ success in the global marketplace, by helping customers to meet end user’s expectations for safety, sustainability, performance, integrity and desirability in virtually any market worldwide.
The lab has been strategically located in Chennai, a hub for leather industry. “South India is one of the major footwear production centres in India and this lab will play a significant role in boosting the economic growth of the country’s footwear industry. Intertek’s unmatched expertise in identifying the species and the chemicals used in dyeing and finishing ensures that the end-product meets the quality requisites of the customers and the requirements of regions to which they are marketed. Our broad testing capabilities enable our clients to effectively evaluate their footwear at all stages of growth and production. Our state-of-the-art lab will enable industry players to get their products tested and gain global acceptance,” adds Manish Kumar, Regional Director – Softlines, Intertek.
Highlighting the role of the Indian footwear and leather industry to the overall economy, Manish informed, “According to a Deloitte report on the Indian leather and footwear industry, India’s share in global exports is 2.2%, making it the 9th largest exporter of leather and footwear products. Leather footwear, leather apparel and leather goods account for 71% of India’s exports overall.” A leading exporter in leather and a Padma Shri recipient Mecca Rafeeque Ahmed added, “The leather industry today is growing at a rapid rate. Such quality testing and certification laboratories are required to further catalyze this progress. I take this opportunity to congratulate Intertek and I will lend necessary support for smooth running of the lab in the region.”
