A shoes and textiles exhibition hosted by the Footwear Manufacturers Association of Nepal kicked off at Bhrikutimandap Exhibition Hall on Tuesday.

The National Industrial Expo, which is in its 13th edition, contains 125 stalls where 60 domestic footwear manufacturers have displayed their products, the organiser said.

Manoj Shrestha, coordinator of the expo, said the week-long fair aimed to promote domestic brands.

Locally-made party shoes, sports shoes, sandals and casual footwear besides textiles made of natural fibres are the major attractions at the fair. Manufacturers said they expected the expo to serve as a platform to promote their brands.

Resham Bhandari, sales and marketing officer of Goldstar, said they were participating in the expo to promote their brand and market new products. Goldstar products, which are manufactured by Kiran Shoes Manufacturers, are also exported to India.

The company has displayed a new model of Goldstar football shoes at the expo. They cost Rs900 a pair, according to Bhandari.

Ramesh Poudel, an attendant at the Royal Shoes outlet, said they were offering discounts of up to 15 percent in a bid to attract customers.

“We have produced party shoes with the inner made of leather and Rexine which ensure comfort to the wearer,” Poudel said.

Likewise, fabrics made of natural fibres another major draw for visitors to the fair.

“We are offering suiting and shirting materials made of wool, cotton and polyester. They are in high demand in recent days,” said Anuj Kumar Singh, salesperson at New Fashion Tailors, Banepa. 

Locally manufactured footwear and textiles made of natural fibre have become fast selling products in the domestic market.

As per the organiser, there are 1,056 registered footwear manufacturers in the country while the natural fibre sector has attracted many investors. These two sectors employ an estimated 100,000 persons.

Speaking at the opening programme, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Pashupati Murarka urged political parties not to hold bandas in the manufacturing sector to push their political agenda.

“If the government provides incentives to exporters, locally-made shoes and textiles would be competitive products in the international market,” he said.

Currently, footwear manufacturers have to rely mostly on imported raw materials while the sector is also facing manpower shortages.

Rajesh Kaji Shrestha, president of the Nepal Chamber of Commerce, asked the government for assistance to set up production plants to produce raw materials needed to make footwear and provide training to workers in the sector.