Diversification or export concentration: a case of Indian hide and skin

Agriculture sector alone is not capable enough to provide employment opportunities. Therefore, there arose the need to explore new areas of employment generation. The solution to employment generation activity lies in leather industry development. India has the largest livestock population in the world. This livestock can be utilized as a development potential by India. After animal dies its skin can be stripped and is later converted into finished leather by tanning process. The exports of raw hides and skin will not only provide employment to both rural and urban youth but also help in earning huge foreign exchange. The present paper has tried to analyze the market power or share of various importing countries of raw hide and skin from India. The paper has further tried to study the Export Concentration Ratio of fifty five major countries of the world. If market power and export concentration are known then it will help in framing trade policies or Export import policies by government of India.