These three together with the support of Karnataka Leather Development Corporation (Lidkar) have initiated what they call `Project Enterprise' and introduced new designs and vibrant colours to make these traditional footwear to suit the style and taste of the European markets.

"The project envisages design innovations, use of alternative materials and new market mechanisms to achieve its ultimate objective of creating a new brand image `Toehold' - and the Ethnic Couture of Kolhapuri," says CLRI footwear division's BN Das.

Already over 35,000 pairs of these footwear, crafted both in the traditional pattern and the `Nouveu' collections, have been exported. The price ranges between $7 and $12 a piece. The Japanese are the major buyers. They love Kolhapuris for their sheer beauty, elegance and simplicity. The other markets are in Israel, Germany, Italy, France, the UAE, the UK and the US.Das said efforts are being made to link up with large buyers in Delhi, Calcutta and Bangalore so that the artisans do not depend solely on exports which is always volatile.

The market is expanding. But the supply chain is not strong enough to cope with the expansion and the potential for development.The changing fortunes of Kolhapuris are also changing the life style of over 6,000 traditional craftsmen of Athani and Nippani in Karnataka. These two villages and Miraj in Maharashtra have been famous for over a century for the manufacture of the Kolhapuris. Made from the local bag-tanned leather, Kolhapuris had been popular among discerning customers in India and abroad, especially in Europe. But the market slide started with dwindling standard and varying worksmanhip.

The Kolhapuri production and marketing scene had been dominated by middlemen who exploited the craftsmen and did nothing to improve the quality of the products.

The makers of Kolhapuris were losing their markets and they were finding it hard to find a way out until help came from the scientific and social organisations.CLRI entered and scene with new designs, better production methods, modern tools etc. But the basic requisites of self-confidence and financial independence were brought about by the self help groups initiated by Ascent. The craftsmen became bankable communities and individuals with the fund corpus created from their own collections. With this joint effort answers were found to the key issues of lack of capital, poor markets, high cost of good quality raw materials. The craftsmen were not able to buy superior inputs to make better products to fetch higher prices and greater income. The institutional intervention solved this problem too.

Now over 10 self help groups are active and more are being formed with expanding membership. CLRI organised a series of training programmes in production methods, in varied designs, in sourcing alternative materials, and in developing products for international trade fairs.

However, the critical problem was identifying the markets. Das said the basic problem was not the absence of markets but the ignorance about the markets and the products.

The best method to solve this problem was participation in fairs. The first official appearance of Kolhapuris, both the products and producers, on the international scene was made in the German Shoe Fair (GDS) in September 1998 in Dusseldorf.

With a well-prepared catalogue and carefully designed traditional and modern products under the brand image of `Toehold', the Kolapuris fascinated the Japanese, Germans and the Italians in a special way.Kolhapuris were on show at the India International Leather Fair in Chennai in 1999. `Toehold' was there in subsequent GDSs, IILF 2000, Swadeshi Vigyan Mela in Delhi and the Delhi Shoe Fair.

The collaborative alliance is working well helping families in the Kolhapuri production. Their skills have improved. New designs and materials have been introduced. Innovative marketing and image building exercises are paying rich dividend.

A common footwear facility centre equipped with footwear machinery has been established for consistent quality and speedy delivery - two key factors of modern marketing.

With accent on innovation and modernisation and the support of Ascent, CLRI hopes to make Kolhapuris a major contributor to the leather and leather products export basket.