India's Footwear Hub Agra Faces Challenging Task in Handling 45 tonnes of Waste Every Day

The origin of the Agra footwear industry is fascinating. All the more fascinating if one were told that the footwear industry actually started as a recycling enterprise.

So—as legend has it—long before the magnificent Taj Mahal was dedicated by Emperor Shah Jahan to his departed wife Mumtaz Mahal, the city had joined the ranks of Delhi, Lahore and Srinagar as a major trading centre.

The Mughals were connoisseurs of sumptuous recipes and one of the ingredients that was imported in huge quantities was asafoetida, called hing in North India (as also in many other Indian languages). This hing would be imported from Afghanistan and Iran, assiduously packed in leather containers called mushak. Now, these mushaks were considered waste after the hing had been extracted: after unpacking, the leather packaging would be thrown away.

It is not known, but this disposal practice would have possibly caused a waste problem of the times... till the craftsmen of the city figured out that these leather items could be repurposed: into making footwear. And, the footprint of that legacy can be found even to this day—in the market called Hing Ki Mandi (the market for asafoetida) which houses over 5,000 shops that sell footwear. Shoemaking that had thrived during that Mughal Era, surviving British Raj, and burgeoning after Independence, today sees itself back to where it had all started.

The city needs to find a feasible solution to the waste of its footwear industry.

Today’s state of waste

The two major footwear associations of the city—Agra Footwear Manufacturing Export Chambers (AFMEC) and the Agra Shoe Manufacturers’ Association (ASMA)—together account for about 650 manufacturers. The CSE study estimated the number of total informal footwear manufacturers at 6,821. About 900 informal manufacturers are members of the Juta Dastkar Federation (JDF) and the Bhim Yuva Vyapar Mandal (BYVM).

The 150 medium-scale manufacturers, under the aegis of the AFMEC, are the bigger lot of the city, and work for international brands in the UK, US, EU and UAE. Each unit can produce about 2,500 pairs of footwear every day. The maximum cumulative daily production capacity is about 500,000 pairs. In the process of production about 0.05 kg of waste is generated per pair of footwear. The small-scale manufacturers of the ASMA produce about 0.025 kg of waste per pair. ASMA’s per pair waste generation is less than AFMEC’s primarily because the range of products they offer is extremely wide. Interestingly, recycling works here too: The CSE team found that the waste generated in the manufacture of one type of product (footwear) is partially used in producing another category of product (belts, purse, smaller sized footwear, etc.).

Then, there are the micro-scale manufacturers. The industry provides livelihood to over 6,000 families who manufacture footwear at home. These home-based businesses (HBBs) in four zones of the city produce 195,872 pairs, by using 85.7 TPD raw materials every day, and generate around 13.71 TPD of waste. The waste generated amounts to 0.07 kg for a pair.

In terms of composition, 40% of the waste is leather, and about 36% are synthetic polymers (polyvinyl chloride, ethyl vinyl acetate, styrene butadiene rubber, polyurethane and thermoplastic elastomers).

The bottom of the pyramid

The base of the footwear industry is huge, and this is where the challenges lie.

The biggest problem is the indiscriminate disposal of footwear waste due to lack of space for storing at manufacturing units. After all, over two-thirds of these units are home-based and informal in nature. These are small to very small dwellings with inadequate space for manufacturing and even less space to store footwear waste. No wonder, many dispose of this waste either outside their house’s doors, in nearby dustbins (if available) or in drains. The local authority has limited formal collection systems in place.

About 57% of the footwear waste is directly or indirectly collected by the fleet of the Agra Nagar Nigam (ANN) from the doorstep or community bins or even from drains (ANN cleans drains at irregular intervals to avoid blockage of drains). As of now, there is no formal system for processing and treatment of footwear waste in Agra. So, the remaining 43 per cent is littered across the city in drains and open spaces or even burnt.

Kuldeep Choudhary, Programme Officer and the lead author of the CSE report, responded to some questions germane to the report.

The report is quite exhaustive, and is important in light of Agra's place in the Indian footwear industry. How significant is this for the Indian footwear industry as a whole? Agra, of course, is a manufacturing hub. The ground situation would be very different in, say, areas that are dominated by tanneries.
Agra produces approximately 1 million pairs daily and serves as a key hub for both formal and informal manufacturers. Unlike tannery-dominated areas focused on raw leather processing, Agra’s specialisation lies in end-product manufacturing, positioning the city uniquely within the industry. This brings specific challenges related to waste management, quality assurance, and environmental compliance. Agra’s manufacturing capacity and skilled labour force are valuable assets, making it not only essential for domestic supply but also a significant contributor to India’s footwear exports. Learning from Agra can guide other similar cities to manage footwear waste more efficiently.

The footwear industry worldwide has been laggard in reacting to sustainability / environmental issues compared to their apparel cousins. With stringent laws coming into place in both the US and EU, footwear exporters would have to clean up their act. Since Agra is so dependent on exports, how equipped do you think they are to match environmental requirements in the West? How aware do you think they are?
There is growing awareness around environmental compliance, particularly among AFMEC-affiliated exporters, who often have waste management systems in place to meet client requirements. AFMEC conducts various tests on footwear to assess wear and tear, toxicity, breathability etc. However, in terms of sustainability, the industry lags behind global standards and has much to learn. Some units are engaged in recycling and reusing techniques to manage waste sustainably, but this is not yet widespread. In informal sectors, adherence to client requirements or local laws is limited, with open dumping and burning remaining prevalent. Bridging this gap will require investment in training, technology, and infrastructure, alongside stronger collaboration with government bodies, to ensure that Agra’s industry can sustainably meet Western environmental standards and retain its competitive edge internationally.

Two of the big players on whom a lot would depend are the AFMEC and the Agra Nagar Nigam. What has been your experience in interacting with them?
AFMEC has been making required efforts to meet international standards and has engaged a waste management company to help ensure compliance with client requirements. Agra Nagar Nigam (ANN), however, continues to face challenges such as clogged drains and increased waste burning during winters, which adversely affect air quality and pose health risks. This situation highlights the need for ANN to learn from industry practices, particularly in areas where informal footwear manufacturers operate, to provide better living conditions for residents. ANN’s logistical and infrastructural constraints have impacted overall waste management efficiency. Enhanced cooperation between AFMEC and ANN will be essential for streamlining waste handling, formalising waste processes among smaller units, and aligning Agra’s practices with export-market standards.

Note: texfash tried reaching out to officials of the Agra Footwear Manufacturing Export Chambers and the Agra Nagar Nigam. Efforts to contact them were unsuccessful.