Sanchit Kundra (Fresh Feet): the footwear industry in India has been through a revolution

We are increasing very quickly. Actually, before footwear (in India) used to be an unorganised sector and that has been dominated by unorganised manufacturing units. Whereas, now the exporters are much more organised and much bigger. So, in the past two years big customers and big companies have entered the market and they are now also opening stores in big numbers. Now, the things have changed a lot and as the big companies enter India this creates a movement regarding, for example, compliance - social and ethical compliance – and then all start doing it.

In India we’ve changed a lot and we have expanded in a big way, and a sector that used to be very unorganised and dominated by very small units, but this has changed a lot in the last few years and a big revolution has come in.

How we’ve become more organised with the big companies coming in in a big way. Now many big factories have been set up in India, and regarding volumes, we are now doing big numbers, making up to 10 thousand pairs a day. This has made a rapid changed for India. And the footwear industry is now also working on the fashion (segment) and we are not that much behind Europe. We are used to work on the trends everyone was following, but now we are competing with Europe and work on the latest trends. We also have European and American brands in India. And all of this is what has been what has created a big market for the footwear in India.

Every parent face issues with children’s feet growing very fast and some compromise is needed, so let’s say they (end up) buying a bigger shoe or a cheaper shoe. However, we all know that a good (quality) shoe is very important for the development of the child’s feet. So, keeping this in mind, we have developed a technology and we are increasing the size of the foot from inside. So, for example, if the child is today a 31 after 6-7 months they will be a 31.5 or 32. So, depending on the product, our shoes will grow from inside and (parents) won’t need new shoes. They will only need to take the provisional insole, which we have designed in such a way that when it is removed it gives the shoe extra length, and it will increase from inside. And then the child can wear the same shoe for another 4, 5, 6 months.

They can wear the same shoe for longer time, and this will help, not only the child, but if we talk about it from a sustainability point of view what we have is a shoe that would last for 5-6 months (the time the child would be wearing it), it can easily last for a year. So, (this technology) will increase the span of the durability of the shoe. And we will have less “scrap” coming out in the end.

This interview was recorded during the last edition of Expo Riva Schuh in June 2022.