German shoe giant begins operations in UP after shifting from China

Lucknow: Von Wellx, a well-known German shoe brand that was earlier operating from China, has opened up two shoe-making units in Agra.

The units became operational from Tuesday in partnership with the Iatric Industries Group.

Von Wellx plans to invest around Rs 300 crore in phases in three projects in Uttar Pradesh, generating around 10,000 jobs. The company aims to produce around five million pairs of shoes annually in these manufacturing units.

Ashish Jain, CEO of the Iatric Industries Group, said that the units were being set up in the Export Promotion Industrial Park.

"It will exemplify the synergy of German technology and demographic dividend of Uttar Pradesh. Iatric Industries will be the exclusive collaborator for technology transfer, research, development, marketing and production," he said.

Earlier, referring to the two units that have been operationalized, Jain said that it was a multiple footwear project, which would produce footwear across different segments annually. He said that it would exemplify synergy of German technology and demographic dividend of Uttar Pradesh.

The Iatric Industries would be the exclusive collaborator for technology transfer, research, development, marketing and production. The company, which is collaborating with Iatric Industries Pvt. Ltd., had announced in May that it would be shifting its entire production of three million pairs of shoes from China to India.

A new factory is also expected to be set up near Jewar in an area of 10,000 square metres while another manufacturing unit is proposed to be set up in an area of 7.5 acres at Kosi-Kotwan in Mathura.

Additional Chief Secretary (Industrial Development) Alok Kumar said, "The vision of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of turning crisis into opportunity has started generating results in building an 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. It is an important milestone in the post Covid-19 era that an investment proposal has materialized within a short span of five months."

Kumar added that the state government had brought in several industrial reforms during the Covid-19 lockdown to give a boost to industries.

"The new integrated investment and facilitation agency, 'Invest UP' is headed by the CM and Ministers of Industrial Development and MSME are its vice chairpersons. The steering committee of the new agency is headed by the Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner. As a team, we are working to ensure complete support to entrepreneurs who may face challenges but we are working within the ambit of state policies to resolve all matters," he said.