Equestrian industry booming in India

Kanpur/New Delhi, Aug 17 (ANI): As more and more people are getting hooked onto the sport of horse racing and polo, lots of opportunities for the Indian leather industry are opening up one of them being the equestrian industry.

A pioneer in producing unmatched quality of horse accessories is the leather industry of Kanpur that is today doing a laudable business.

There are around 300 units in Kanpur alone, with an annual turnover of about 120 million dollars for exports to US, UK, Australia and Germany.

"When it comes to leather, Kanpur plays a key role for manufacturing the majority of products that are exported to Europe and UK. Generally, because of the availability of raw material, the leather industry is helping a great deal the equestrian market," said Syed Hussain, Owner GB Exports, Kanpur.

The industry is now venturing into Asian markets like Thailand and Korea as well.

It is the fine quality leather and excellence of workmanship, which has helped it gain worldwide popularity.

"In the couple of years, Indian Industry has grown 30 to 40 per cent. People prefer our products because our quality is very good, workmanship is excellent, tanneries are giving high quality leather compared to leather available abroad," said Achal Sood, owner of a website dealing in equestrian industry.

While Germany is popular for breeding world class racing horses, the riders around the world look on to India when it comes to horse riding equipment.

"Many big riders like Olympic Coach Sam and others only prefer Indian saddler. They prefer Indian leather. All over the world Indian leather is used in every saddle," said Angad, Show Jumper, Indian Team.

However, the Indian equestrian industry today has very few showrooms dedicated entirely to horse accessories.

It is mostly through international exhibitions or by sending samples to oversees clients that the manufacturers market their products. The Internet too has played a vital role in giving a boost to the business.

But the industry shows potential to overcome all the hurdles and deliver world-class products. (ANI)