18th Meet at Agra Opens with First Ever China Pavilion

The 18th edition of Meet at Agra opened on October 3 at the Agra Trade Centre in Agra, bringing together footwear manufacturers, exporters, suppliers, technology companies, designers and industry professionals from India and international markets.

Organized by the Agra Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters Chamber (AFMEC), the three day event will continue through October 5, with around 250 exhibitors showcasing footwear components, materials, machinery, chemicals, technology and industrial solutions across three halls.

At the opening ceremony, Manoj Kumar Singh, CEO of the Uttar Pradesh State Transformation Commission and Chief Guest , highlighted Agra’s importance as a traditional leather and footwear cluster and called for greater adoption of automation, artificial intelligence, sustainability, international certification, design, branding and e-commerce to strengthen the industry.

He also pointed to opportunities in non leather footwear and domestic raw material production, saying stronger manufacturing capabilities could help reduce import dependence and support the sector’s future growth.

Singh noted that Agra has more than 5,000 small and micro industries supporting its footwear ecosystem and highlighted the potential to expand the city’s role in global footwear manufacturing.

First China Pavilion at Meet at Agra

A major highlight of this year’s edition is the first ever China Pavilion, bringing Chinese machinery, components, materials and production technologies to the Agra trade fair.

AFMEC President Gopal Gupta said the participation of Chinese companies could open new avenues for technical cooperation and business partnerships, particularly in machinery, automation, components and innovative materials.

AFMEC General Secretary Pradip Wasan also thanked the Chinese delegation and said the association wants to develop stronger supplier relationships to improve quality and production efficiency. He highlighted the potential for domestic synthetic material production to support the growth of synthetic footwear and reduce import dependence.

From ₹700 Crore to ₹5,000 Crore

AFMEC Convener & Chairman of Development Council For Footwear And Leather Industry (DCFLI), Puran Dawar highlighted the growth of Agra’s footwear industry since the event was launched in 2007.

He said the city’s footwear business has grown from around ₹700 crore before Meet at Agra began to approximately ₹5,000 crore today, covering exporters, domestic manufacturers and artisans.

Dawar said India currently produces around 3 billion pairs out of global production of 24.6 billion pairs, while the country’s footwear trade is targeting $50 billion by 2030. He stressed that manufacturers must maintain the same quality and compliance standards for domestic and export production to take advantage of emerging global opportunities.

With machinery, components, materials and international suppliers under one roof, Meet at Agra 2026 is providing the footwear industry with a platform to explore new technologies, strengthen supply chains and develop new business connections.