QCI, FDDI Sign MoU To Boost Quality, Skilling In Leather And Footwear Sector

New Delhi, Jun 13 (KNN) The Quality Council of India (QCI), an autonomous body, under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), and the Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen quality, testing, accreditation, and skilling in India’s leather and footwear sector.

Scope of Collaboration

The partnership seeks to build a structured framework for capacity building, certification, testing infrastructure and quality ecosystem development across major footwear clusters, including Agra, Bahadurgarh, Ranipet, Chennai, Calicut and Kanpur, the Commerce & Industry Ministry said.

Under the MoU, QCI and FDDI will jointly design outcome-oriented programmes for workers, MSMEs, supervisors and other industry professionals. The focus areas include workforce skill development, personal certification, quality management practices, improved access to testing facilities, and support for laboratories seeking accreditation.

Roles of the Two Organisations

QCI will offer technical guidance on accreditation principles, quality management systems and relevant standards. It will also run awareness initiatives for MSMEs on quality, testing, accreditation and government schemes, and contribute to joint monitoring frameworks, research studies and case studies.

FDDI will lead cluster-specific skilling and training programmes suited to each footwear hub's needs. It will also map testing and calibration laboratories, identify access gaps, support sample collection centres in underserved clusters, and develop knowledge resources for the industry.

Worker Certification Framework

The MoU also provides for a multi-level worker assessment and personal certification framework, including Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) pathways for semi-skilled and experienced workers who have practical industry skills but lack formal qualifications.

(KNN Bureau)