Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Nitin Gadkari has assured the footwear industry of  all possible support from the government to tide over the challenges arising out due to lockdown imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19.

He was interacting with the representatives of Confederation of Indian Footwear Industries via video conferencing from Nagpur. Mr Gadkari said that the government has already released over Rs 5,204 crore to MSMEs as the refund from the Income Tax Department in last 10 days which will help the sector in a big way. He also called upon the industry to work upon import substitution and make use of the opportunity for export.

During the meeting, the representatives of footwear industry expressed concerns regarding lack of working capital, logistics, availability of raw material, workspace conditions, continuity of business operations and impact on demand of footwear amid COVID-19 pandemic. They requested the government to take supportive measures to keep the sector afloat.

Mr Gadkari mentioned that first and foremost, while the government has allowed certain industry sectors to start functioning, however, it also needs to be ensured by Industries that necessary preventive measures are taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

He emphasized on usage of PPE and advised to ensure social distancing while resuming business operations. He assured that he would take up relevant issues with the Finance Ministry and Commerce Ministry to provide immediate relief to the sector.

Mr Gadkari also said that the footwear industry should take a positive approach while resuming the business operations post-lockdown and work together to tap the opportunities that will be created once the COVID-19 crisis gets over.