Of late, cricketers too have taken a fancy for this `saddlery city'. While their search is for cricket balls, it is the harness and saddlery manufacturing that has made Kanpur famous the world over. Harnesses and saddlery products are also an important component in the nation's export basket. Last year, exports of these goods touched the Rs 120-crore mark. With the country's total exports during 1997-98 standing at Rs 600 crore, Kanpur's share of exports stood at 10 per cent.

It was the British who had set up the first saddlery factory in Kanpur to meet the requirements of its army. The city has always had an abundant supply of buffalo hides to meetthe needs of saddlery manufacturers. There are also traditional craftsmen. Today Kanpur is the largest producer of harnesses and saddlery goods in the world. But, in value terms, the Indian share is barely five to seven per cent. Indian saddlery products cater to the middle to lower segments of the market. Low-cost unbranded products made from inferior quality leather and low level of mechanisation are said to be the important reasons for this low standing.

Kanpur manufacturers, according to Council for Leather Export (CLE) sources, say that red-tapism is one of the causes for poor export performance, though there is good global demand. Some of them believe that the saddlery and harness sector could take first place in the country's export basket if procedural problems were streamlined.

The city also has several logistical disadvantages. Want of air-link with the rest of India and of roads suitable to carry heavy containers are some of them.

Another major drawback is the inability to produce qualityequestrian leather as produced in the UK or US due to want of good quality raw hides and chemicals. Use of high quality leather, mechanisation of production process and establishment of brand names are some of the immediate steps needed to improve the product quality and to increase unit value realisation and market share.

The CLE has taken several steps in these areas and there are several modern units in and around Kanpur capable of producing world class goods. Companies like Lex International and Kings International have already proved the capability of Kanpur to be world class.

Saddlery consists of, apart from leather goods, a host of items including riding boots, belts, several textile steel and brass items. But duty drawback is available only to leather items under saddlery. Manufacturers and exporters demand widening of this list to include all related items also.

Now the industry is limited in the world market to 15 per cent of this sector. It can be 70-80 per cent. Riding boots, riding appareland saddlery hardware like bits, stirrups, buckles, snap hooks, horse shoe, etc could be added. These are still untouched.

Kanpur is also known for footwear and other products. It is the largest manufacturing centre of safety shoes in India- 70,000 pairs daily. There are also several units making riding boots, fashion shoes, sandals and bags. Today Kanpur is the `leather capital of the northern India'.

There are over 200 tanneries in and around Kanpur. Close to 1,300 leather units are operating in Uttar Pradesh employing about 80,000 people. Now leather industry in the Kanpur region is very active. Modernisation, mechanisation, diversification and pollution control are the issues in discussion everywhere.

Leather industry in Uttar Pradesh is poised for rapid expansion with the setting up of the proposed leather township at Unnao, in the outskirts of Kanpur. Uttar Pradesh Leather Industries Association has already received over 700 applications.

Kanpur has the potential to build a major industry forsaddlery and harness by harnessing all the advantages which are uniquely and exclusively its own.