India International Footwear Fair (IIFF)

IIFF is ITPO's footwear fair at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, covering finished footwear, components and machinery. Buying shoes from India? Then it's one of two Delhi footwear shows worth weighing up, and the other is BFLEX, the leather council's buyer-seller meet.

A word of caution - ITPO hasn't published buyer terms or opened registration for 2027, and the next edition is almost a year away. Treat this page as a planning note. It'll firm up once ITPO's page goes live.

Next Edition

The 11th edition runs 5 to 7 August 2027 in Halls 5 and 6 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi (ITPO event calendar, read 25 September 2026). We checked ITPO's site again on 28 September 2026 and there was still no 2027 event page, so registration isn't open.

ITPO warns that it takes registrations only on its own site, never on third-party sites. So wait for the 2027 page on itpo.gov.in (opens in a new tab) and ignore anyone offering you "registration" before then.

What Goes Wrong With Indian Footwear and How the Fair Helps

Western buyers who've bought direct from small Indian shoemakers tell a pretty consistent story. In one long 2024 thread, US buyers praised the leather and the build for the price and, in the same breath, moaned about missed timelines and sizing - one pair came "both shorter and narrower than size 9" (r/goodyearwelt, May 2024 (opens in a new tab)). The material was fine. The process was the risk.

Carry that split into the hall with you. You can judge leather and build at the stand with the shoe in your hand, but you can't judge lasts, size grading or lead times that way. So ask to see the size run on your last, ask how the maker converts UK and Indian sizes to your market's sizing, and ask what the lead time was on their last order of your size, not their best case.

A UK buyer's review of entry-price India-made welted boots makes the same point about spec. The construction was genuine, but the trade-off was a stiff corrected-grain upper (r/goodyearwelt, 2024 (opens in a new tab)), so put the leather grade in writing.

Who Exhibits

ITPO, the government's trade promotion body, organises IIFF. Exhibitors are footwear makers, component suppliers and machinery firms. There's no exporter-only rule for exhibitors, so some sell only into India and some are traders.

Neither is a problem in our view. Your job is to find out who makes the shoes you want and who answers for quality. Ask whether the exhibitor holds a manufacturer-exporter RCMC from the Council for Leather Exports, and whether the unit that would make your order is the one on show. The checks are in how to check an Indian supplier.

Hosted-Buyer Terms

These are Unknown as at September 2026, because ITPO hasn't published buyer terms for 2027. If you want a subsidised footwear trip then BFLEX (15 to 16 March 2027) is run as a Reverse Buyer-Seller Meet and is eligible for government hospitality support.

Visa and Getting There

The e-Business Visa is the usual route. Apply at least two weeks ahead and ask the organiser for an invitation letter. Bharat Mandapam is at Pragati Maidan in central New Delhi, and ITPO says the 123-acre complex has metro connectivity and underground parking, so check which gate serves your hall before you set off (ITPO, read 25 September 2026). It's a big place, and the wrong gate is a long walk.

What to Expect at IIFF

It's a three-day show with domestic and export buyers side by side. Bring your destination's product rules with you - care labelling, children's footwear safety, chromium VI limits for leather going into the EU, and the origin rule for any free-trade rate you plan to claim. Quality control in India covers the tests.

Past Editions

• 2026: the 10th edition, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi (ITPO's IIFF 2026 page (opens in a new tab), read 25 September 2026). Its days and visitor numbers aren't in text we could read.

Sources

• ITPO event listing (opens in a new tab), read 25 September 2026
• ITPO: IIFF 2026 Delhi (opens in a new tab), the 10th edition page with the registration advisory, read 25 September 2026
• ITPO venue facts for Bharat Mandapam (opens in a new tab), read 28 September 2026

Where SourcingSync Helps

If you'd like meetings set up before you fly, exhibitors pre-screened against their public records and factory visits run for you, SourcingSync (opens in a new tab) does it.

All India fairs: /india/fairs/ · All fairs: /fairs/