“Global shoe brands tied to toxic tannery conditions in India”, 22 July 2025

In Ranipet, the air smells of chemicals amid gleaming leather goods bound for Europe. This bustling tannery hub in Tamil Nadu, south India, supplies some of the world’s biggest shoe names. It has long been scrutinised for environmental damage, and for the unsafe conditions and low wages that many workers endure.

“It’s not uncommon for people in poor health to continue working in tanneries or shoe factories,” says Vedha Nayagi, a doctor and member of the Ranipet Leather Tannery Allied Labourers Protection Forum, an NGO dedicated to worker welfare.

“Many patients show up at the hospital at night, take injections and then return to work the following morning because they have no other option.”

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Surveys show that at least 30% of tannery workers in Tamil Nadu do not receive the state-mandated minimum wage of INR 11,130 (USD 127.5) a month. Many also undertake hazardous tasks, such as manually cleaning toxic sludge from septic tanks, without protection, despite nationwide bans on the practice due to health risks.

This exposure to pollution is not limited to the factory floor. As we heard in the first article of this two-part series, the tannery industry is also polluting the Palar River, a vital drinking water source for 50 villages and 30 towns that also sustains farmland – or should. The pollution has contaminated the water supply, devastating crops and causing widespread health issues in nearby communities.

…“On the boxes that we pack, there are names of countries: Italy, Germany, the UK. But the names of the brands aren’t mentioned while the boxes are with workers,” says Sheetal, 35, who packs shoes in the Vellore district.

“When it comes to leather, EU product legislation is not very transparent,” according to Gustavo Quijano from Cotance, a European leather-industry association. Leather companies can label goods “Made in EU” even if the raw hides originate elsewhere, with only the final assembly being done in Europe. This allows them to outsource much of the production to countries like India, where health and safety regulations on hazardous chemicals are less strict.

Responsibility for unsafe working conditions and environmental risks in the leather industry also rests with multinational corporations. According to trade data reviewed by Dialogue Earth, several European shoe brands source leather from tanneries in Tamil Nadu that have been found to commit environmental and labour violations. Among them are H&M, Deichmann, Inditex and Gabor Shoes.

One documented case involves Habeeb Tanning Company, a supplier to Spanish fashion conglomerate Inditex (Zara, Massimo Dutti), which has been subject of a complaint to the CPCB for “pollution caused by illegal operations”. Inditex acknowledged to Dialogue Earth that audits in 2024 and 2025 had identified unspecified non-conformities and that steps were being taken to address these issues. It declined to share the results of these audits.

…These concerns resonate with tannery workers like Shashikala, who packs shoes at KH Exports, a supplier to H&M. “Inspectors only check the products; they don’t talk to us,” she says. “The smell in the factory is always unbearable, and I suffer from allergies on my hands and face.”

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H&M told Dialogue Earth that KH Export factories in India supplying the company were following its audit programme and “showing compliance” as of 2024. It added that all of the tanneries it used in India were audited in 2024, but did not provide further details. LWG and KH Exports’ auditors never replied to Dialogue Earth’s request for comment.

..However, most footwear and clothing companies still do not publish the names of their suppliers.

…LWG and Tata International auditors did not respond to Dialogue Earth’s questions about workers allegedly being exposed to tannery chemicals for prolonged periods of time.

…Gabor Shoes did not reply to requests for comment. In an email exchange, Deichmann insisted that its code of conduct ensures respect for workers throughout its supply chain and said it had not received any “relevant information” through its internal grievance mechanisms. The company cited posters in local languages displayed at supplier factories informing workers of their rights, with targeted training programmes encouraging employees to speak up.

…None of the 200-plus workers interviewed by Inkota in 2024 in the Indian leather and footwear industry were even aware of any grievance mechanism linked to the brand they. The absence of a grievance mechanism would be a direct violation of German law, as would a lack of action to prevent or end any human-rights abuses. The German government did not respond to a request for comment on this.