February 5, 2026

One of the most awaited B2B leather industry event, the 39th edition of India International Leather Fair (February 1-3, 2026) was formally inaugurated by the Amb. Shri Jawed Ashraf, IFS (Retd.) Chairman, India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) in the presence of the captions of leather industry, senior government officials. 9th Designers fair organised by the Council of Leather Exports at IILF was also inaugurated by the Chairman, ITPO. Present on the occasion were Dr. Neeraj Kharwal IAS, Managing Director ITPO, Shri Ramesh Kumar Juneja, Chairman, CLE, Shri R. Selvam, Executive Director, CLE, Lt. Col. Harsh Kondilya, OSD and General Manager, ITPO, Smt. L. Bharathi Devi, Managing Director, TNTPO, Shri Vivek Sharma, MD, FDDI, Mr. Abdul Wahab, Regional Chairman (South, CLE), Shri Sanjay Gupta, Chairman, IFCOMA, Shri Brij Lal, General Manger, ITPO, Members of Diplomatics Corps, participants from India and abroad, delegates and media representatives.  The dignitaries from the overseas include Mr. Michael Hasper, Counsel General of Federal Republic of Germany in Chennai, Ms. Antonietta Baccanari, Trade Commissioner, Italy, Mr. Cameron Nobel, Dy. Consul General, Australia, Mr. Adil Australian Trade Commissioner and others. After opening the fair, Amb. Mr. Jawed Ashraf Chairman, ITPO visited the stalls and complimented all the associates for holding this edition of the fair IILF at an enhanced scale at Chennai Trade Center and its newly constructed exhibition halls. He informed that opening new avenues of growth in India’s leather & footwear industry. ITPO is committed to support and catalyse the promotional efforts in India and abroad, specially when the country is emerging as a vital destination after signing FTA’s with European Union and UK. After interaction with the senior representatives of CLE and other Apex bodies he informed that ITPO is planning hold similar leather fair in New Delhi. While addressing the foreign media he said specially when Europe and India are committed to shape new global order to boost economic growth in leather and its allied industries by slashing tariff on goods, enhancing service sector and fostering investment. Quality and on time delivery are imperatives to improve India’s performance to strengthen its supply chain. Prominent among from foreign media were Mr. Mario Luzon Blasco, Prensa Tenia, Spain, Mr. Mathew Henry Abott, world Trades Publishing Ltd., UK, Mr. Stefano Migliavacca, Edizioni AF s.r.L. Italy, Mr. Carlo Leoni, Editoriale Di Informazioni Settoriali, Italy, Mr. Frederico Avogadro Di Valdengo, MPA s.r.L., Italy. This year, the fair elicited participation of 368 Indian companies and 66 oversees participants. Germany & Italy have set-up their country pavilions at the fair. The other participating nations are Australia, Argentina, China, Ethiopia, Hong Kong, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Taiwan, The Netherlands, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom. The fair is being organised by ITPO with the meaningful support of the Council of Leather Exports (CLE) as the Co-organiser and other associates including Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), Indian Shoe Federation (ISF), Indian Finished Leather Manufacturers Exporters Association (IFLMEA), Indian Footwear Components Manufacturers, Association (IFCOMA), Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) and Confederation of Indian Footwear Industries (CIFI). IILF Chennai 2026 (February 01-03) is open from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm. Entry for Business Visitors will be facilitated by Online Registration through the following link: https://iilf.eventink.in/visitor.html Business Visitors can also register on-site at the fair venue through QR Codes. After registering, Business Visitors may collect the badges from registration counters at the venue. Please visithttps://www.itpo.gov.in/iilf-2026, for more details.

 Consolidated revenue from operations grows 33% year-on-year Over 600 Kinetic EVs sold to date; dealer network to expand to 15 outlets by February-end Senior leadership strengthened to support next phase of EV and manufacturing scale-up Pune, Maharashtra: Kinetic Engineering Ltd. (KEL) continues to build momentum across electric mobility and manufacturing, driven by rising customer adoption, a steadily expanding retail footprint, and improved operational performance. The company has crossed 600 electric vehicle sales to date, reflecting growing acceptance of its EV offerings across early markets. Supporting this momentum, Kinetic Watts and Volts Ltd., the electric mobility arm of Kinetic Engineering Ltd. currently operates 7 Kinetic EV dealerships, with 8 additional outlets scheduled to open by the end of February, reinforcing its phased, market-by-market expansion strategy. KEL also reported a strong improvement in financial performance. Consolidated revenue from operations increased to ₹38.37 crore for the quarter ended December 2025, compared to ₹28.90 crore in the corresponding quarter last year, registering a year-on-year growth of 33%. The growth was supported by improved execution across manufacturing operations and increasing traction in the EV business. Commenting on the progress, Mr. Ajinkya Firodia, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Kinetic Engineering Limited, said, “Our EV business is entering a phase of measured scale-up, supported by growing customer acceptance, expanding retail presence, and stronger operational execution. Crossing 600 EV sales and steadily expanding our dealer network reflects the confidence the market is showing in our product and approach. At the same time, the improvement in revenues highlights the strength of our manufacturing backbone. As we scale further, strengthening leadership will be critical to sustaining quality, efficiency, and long-term growth.” To support this next phase of growth, Kinetic has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Mr. Rajesh Dhongade as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Key Management Personnel at Kinetic Engineering Limited. Mr. Dhongade holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and brings over 24 years of experience across the automotive and industrial manufacturing sectors. His career spans senior leadership roles, with expertise in plant setup, manufacturing scale-up, component development, operations management, and business development. His appointment is expected to further enhance operational discipline and execution as Kinetic scales its EV and core manufacturing businesses.