Centres of Excellence (CoE’s) at Footwear Design and Development Institute are working as a team, a shared facility, or an entity that provides leadership, best practices research, support and training for a focus area. CoE promotes research and the development of new materials, technologies and designs, keeping the industry competitive. It offers advanced training programs to improve the skills of industry professionals, ensures adherence to international quality standards and rigorous testing, boosts exports and job creation by making Indian Footwear Industry more competitive & globally Sustainable, encourages eco-friendly practices and ethical production. Global Competitiveness helps Indian brands expand internationally and gain market recognition. CoE’s are situated in different locations of the country i.e. Noida, Kolkata Chennai, Hyderabad, Rohtak, Jodhpur, and Patna with the objective of Designing and Development of futuristic innovative Footwear (Occupational, Safety, Sports, Traditional, Special purpose) and other related products.
• Research Ideation.
• Institution-Industry-Collaboration.
• Product Development.
• Product Testing.
• Human Performance Evaluation and Enhancement.
• Incubation and Start-up Support.
• Education and Training Services.
• On Demand Services (Customized)
• Biomechanics Lab (Rohtak)
• Polymer Lab (Jodhpur and Rohtak)
• Physical Lab (Jodhpur and Rohtak)
• Pattern making Lab (Rohtak and Jodhpur)
• Prosthetics and Orthotics Lab (Jodhpur)
• Last milling and modelling Lab (Chennai)
• Upper knitting Lab (Rohtak and Chennai)
• Design Lab and Product development studio
(Jodhpur, Hyderabad and Chennai)
Under the scheme of Indian Footwear, Leather and Accessories Development Program (IFLADP) by Department for Promotion of Industries and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce &Government of India, Footwear Design & Development Institute (FDDI) has Centres of Excellence or COEs.
• Developing methodological approaches for evaluation.
• Creating new standards and validating suitability for old ones.
• Constructing databases.
• Upskilling and knowledge dissemination.
• Ideating an innovative indigenous product.
• Industrial translation of technology.
FDDI Jodhpur's Center of Excellence is a dedicated hub for innovation, research, and industry collaboration in the domain of high-performance specialized footwear and allied products. Established in 2023, this CoE is built to serve the evolving needs of India’s safety, rehabilitation, and performance footwear ecosystem.
The CoE – Jodhpur specializes in:
• Occupational and Safety Footwear
• Biomechanical & Rehabilitation Solutions
• Traditional Indian Footwear (Revival & Modernization)
• Performance Enhancement in Human Movement
• Design & Material Innovation
• Technology Transfer & Indigenous Product Development
Empowering industry and healthcare with tailored services:
• Workplace Ergonomic Assessment & Productivity Enhancement
• Rehabilitation Product Design & Support
• Accident Analysis & Preventive Footwear Strategies
• Material Testing & Quality Assurance (as per global standards)
• Technical & Design Consultancy
• Material Innovation Lab Services
• Training Workshops for Industry & Academia
• Design, Prototyping & Custom Development
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State-of-the-art tools and labs to push the boundaries of design and performance:
• 3D Foot Scanning & Printing
• Plantar Pressure Analysis (Static & Dynamic)
• Physical, Mechanical & Rheological Testing Labs
• Polymer Processing for PVC, TPR, Elastomers (Rubber
calendaring, compression moulding, PU pouring, DMS
processing & more)
CoE aims to evolve into a startup enabler and entrepreneurial hub focused on product innovation, with planned initiatives under FDDI’s national incubation mission.
Located at the FDDI Chennai Campus and established in 2023, the Center of Excellence for Design, Development & Fabric Interface stands as a beacon of innovation in India’s southern design ecosystem. This specialized CoE is dedicated to cutting-edge developments in footwear design, shoe-last prototyping, and knitted upper development, combining traditional craftsmanship with futuristic technologies.
To be a pioneering hub in footwear, fashion, and leather goods design and development—driving basic and applied research, enhancing product innovation, and strengthening industry-academia collaboration through testing, consultancy, and co-development models.
• Footwear Design & Prototyping
• Shoe-last Modelling and Development
• Knitted Upper Design and Development
• Knitted Upper Design & Development
• Component Cutting & Material Scanning
• Product Development Support
• Last Modelling and Foot Scanning
• Industry-focused Training Workshops
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Equipped with state-of-the-art machinery and digital infrastructure, the CoE houses:
• CAD/CAM Labs
• Reverse Engineering Units
• Die-less Plotter Cutters
• Laser Cutting Machines
• Last Modelling and Milling Facility
• Co-development with Stanley Safety Shoes on sample prototyping
With its strong technical base and experienced mentorship, the CoE Chennai also supports emerging brands and young innovators, facilitating a growth-driven environment for product-based startups in design and footwear technology.
A strategic powerhouse blending technology, design, and industry collaboration, the Center of Excellence – Chennai continues to redefine standards in modern-day footwear and material innovation.
Non-conventional / Technical / Smart Textiles, Pattern Making, and Design for Leather/Non-Leather Products.
Bridge academia and industry to foster innovation in futuristic fashion, footwear, and accessories.
• Design & pattern making (fashion/accessories)
• Product development support
• Industry training workshops
• Digital design lab access
• Direct-to-fabric digital printing
• Computerized embroidery & knitting machines
• Laser cutting & engraving
• Computerized flat-bed knitting and pattern seamer
• Design and plotting/cutting equipment
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Leather Goods, Garments, and Accessories – Design, Prototyping, Research, and Academia-Industry Interface
Promote design innovation, skill advancement, and collaborative research to enhance industry competitiveness.
• Design & prototyping
• Product development and trend research
• Industry training workshops
• Product certification, labeling, and technology transfer
• Hosting seminars/workshops for knowledge exchange
• CAD/CAM lab with digital pattern cutter & 360° sewing machine
• Prototype development, preparation, stitching labs
• Video conferencing & e-learning setup
• Digital printing and plotting systems
Non-Leather Footwear, Products & Accessories with a Biomechanical & Polymer Design Approach.
Foster innovation in sustainable non-leather footwear and accessories with advanced biomechanics and testing.
• Biomechanics-based product testing
• Gait and motion analysis
• Non-leather footwear design and prototyping
• Polymer sole development and manufacturing
• Physical testing and quality analysis for materials
• Biomechanics Lab: Gait analysis with 8 markerless video cameras, 2 KISTLER force platforms, and 16-channel EMG electrodes
• 3D Foot Scanning System
• Polymer Sole Manufacturing Lab
• Design Lab and Physical Testing Lab
Industry Collaborations: Not explicitly listed in the document Incubation/Startup Support: Not available
Retail Management & Leather Finishing Techniques.
To build regional capacity through specialized training in retail operations and leather finishing to serve emerging industry and MSME needs in eastern India.
• Short-term Retail Management Training Programs
• Specialized training support in leather finishing units
• Advisory support for the development of finishing infrastructure
• Functional setup for retail simulation and leather finishing(as part of short-term program delivery)
• Industry-relevant training infrastructure
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Footwear & Product Design, Manufacturing, Management, and Academic R&D
To emerge as a national-level academic and industry-integrated excellence hub for advanced knowledge creation,skill innovation, and sectoral research in footwear and allied domains.
• Industry-aligned academic curriculum development
• Technology transfer and domain expertise dissemination
• Product testing support in collaboration with ITC, Noida
• Development of quality training modules and trainer support
• Academic research, publications, and innovation-led knowledge creation
• Incubation and mentoring support for sectoral CoE candidates
• Access to product testing laboratories (via ITC, Noida)
• R&D knowledge base and learning ecosystem
• Institutional capability-building infrastructure
Contact Detail:
Mr. Sharad Srivastava
(Head Centres of Excellence)
Centres of Excellence
Footwear Design & Development Institute, Noida
A-10/A, SECTOR-24, NOIDA-201301
Mobile: +91-9871478150
E-mail: sharad[at]fddiindia[dot]com
