Giriraj Singh launches 10th India International Footwear Fair
Synopsis
Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh inaugurated the 10th India International Footwear Fair (IIFF 2026) on 6 August 2026, organised by CIFI and ITPO, framing the milestone edition as a catalyst for Viksit Bharat 2047 and Atmanirbhar Bharat goals in a labour-intensive export sector.
Key Takeaways
Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh inaugurated the 10th India International Footwear Fair (IIFF 2026) on 6 August 2026 .
The fair is jointly organised by the Confederation of Indian Footwear Industry (CIFI) and the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) .
Senior CIFI and ITPO officials, along with the IIFF 2026 Organising Committee Chairperson, attended the inauguration.
The Minister linked the event to the government's Viksit Bharat 2047 and Atmanirbhar Bharat policy frameworks.
IIFF serves as a key platform connecting Indian footwear MSME producers and exporters with international buyers.
The event fits within a broader government push including the PLI scheme for textiles (2021) to scale up value-added manufacturing and exports.
India's footwear sector stepped onto a global stage on Thursday, 6 August 2026, as Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh inaugurated the 10th India International Footwear Fair (IIFF 2026) — a milestone edition of the country's premier footwear trade event, jointly organised by the Confederation of Indian Footwear Industry (CIFI) and the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO).
Singh launched the fair in the presence of ITPO's Chairman and Executive Director, CIFI's President, the Chairperson of the IIFF 2026 Organising Committee, and a wide gathering of industry representatives. Posting on X, the Minister said he was fully confident the event would 'भारतीय फुटवियर उद्योग को नई गति प्रदान करते हुए' ['give fresh momentum to the Indian footwear industry'] and play a meaningful role in realising the visions of 'Viksit Bharat 2047' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'.
Ten editions and a sector still climbing
The IIFF has grown edition by edition into a key platform linking Indian footwear and leather-goods producers with international buyers. Organised under the export-promotion mandate of the Commerce Ministry, successive fairs have served as a bridge between domestic MSME manufacturers and global supply chains — exactly the constituency the government has sought to energise since the Atmanirbhar Bharat programme was announced in May 2020.
The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for textiles and apparel, notified in 2021, extended the government's investment-attraction push into adjacent value chains, including footwear components. IIFF sits squarely within that broader architecture — a recurring moment to showcase domestic capacity and court export orders.
Where Viksit Bharat 2047 meets the factory floor
The twin invocations — Viksit Bharat 2047 and Atmanirbhar Bharat — are not rhetorical decoration here. Footwear is a labour-intensive sector with deep MSME roots, and any sustained export push translates directly into jobs on the factory floor in manufacturing clusters across Agra, Chennai, Kolkata and Kanpur. For the Textiles Ministry, events like IIFF are one of the cleaner levers available: low on fiscal cost, high on visibility, and capable of generating real buyer-seller connections.
The question the industry will now watch is whether IIFF 2026 produces follow-on policy signals — new export targets, cluster investments, or logistics support — that convert fair-floor conversations into firm orders and sustained growth.
Point of View
MSME-dominated, and export-oriented — making it easy to connect a trade event to job creation and self-reliance messaging simultaneously. Reaching the tenth edition of IIFF also gives the government a credible continuity story in a sector where policy consistency has historically been demanded by industry. The real test, however, is whether ministerial presence at the inauguration converts into durable policy support — export incentives, logistics upgrades, or cluster investment — that outlasts the fair itself.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the India International Footwear Fair (IIFF)?
The India International Footwear Fair (IIFF) is a recurring international trade exhibition showcasing Indian footwear, components, and machinery, jointly organised by the Confederation of Indian Footwear Industry (CIFI) and the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO). The 2026 edition marks its tenth iteration.
Who inaugurated IIFF 2026?
Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh inaugurated the 10th India International Footwear Fair (IIFF 2026) on 6 August 2026, in the presence of senior CIFI and ITPO officials and industry representatives.
What is CIFI and what role does it play in IIFF?
The Confederation of Indian Footwear Industry (CIFI) is the primary industry association representing Indian footwear manufacturers and exporters. It co-organises IIFF alongside ITPO to connect domestic producers with global buyers.
How does IIFF 2026 relate to Viksit Bharat 2047?
Viksit Bharat 2047 is the government's vision for India to become a developed nation by its centenary of independence. Minister Giriraj Singh framed IIFF 2026 as a platform that can contribute to this goal by boosting exports and competitiveness in the labour-intensive footwear sector.
What is the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative and why is it relevant to footwear?
Atmanirbhar Bharat, launched in May 2020, aims to strengthen domestic manufacturing and reduce import dependence. The footwear sector, with its large MSME base and export potential, is seen as a key beneficiary of the self-reliance push, making IIFF a natural platform for the initiative.
