On 25 February 2026, FDDI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bahadurgarh Footwear Development Services (BFDS) at Bahadurgarh, Haryana. BFDS is a government-supported institution established under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) MSE-CDP scheme to promote the growth of the footwear industry and skill development in India.
The MoU was signed by Mr. Vivek Sharma, IRS, Managing Director, FDDI, and Mr. Subhash Jagga, Director, BFDS, in the presence of FDDI HQ officials including Mrs. Rashmi Asthana, Head ITC; Mr. Prashant Kumar Saxena, Head BD & SD; and Mr. Siddharth Dubey, Administration BFDS, along with dignitaries and leading footwear manufacturers from the Bahadurgarh cluster.
The partnership establishes a structured industry–academia framework aimed at strengthening the footwear ecosystem through focused skilling, testing, certification, design support, and enterprise development. Key areas of collaboration include NCQF and NCVET-aligned skill programmes, on-the-job training and joint placement initiatives, testing support for MSMEs, development of a commercial design and sampling facility, and certification and CE facilitation.
This collaboration is expected to significantly enhance cluster competitiveness and create a scalable model for skill-driven industrial growth, with a capacity expansion roadmap targeting training of up to 15,000 candidates annually.
