Export Resilience of Indian Leather Footwear: Post-COVID-19 Context

Abstract

This study examined the factors influencing Indian leather footwear exports during the COVID-19 pandemic and prioritized the key challenges. By analyzing the literature of the crisis period (2019-2021) and consulting industry experts, the study identified and ranked challenges using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a commonly used method for project prioritization. Microsoft Excel's built-in functions, including average, sum, MMULT, and GEOMEAN, were used to calculate criteria weights and determine their global priorities. The research revealed that the pandemic significantly impacted export revenue, supply chain disruptions, and export operations and incentives in the leather footwear industry. Based on the findings, the study recommended CLE extend existing promotional schemes, such as the Integrated Development of Leather Sector (under IFLDP), to mitigate the pandemic's disruption on Indian leather footwear exports.