Rahul Gandhi meets Dharavi’s leather crafters, designers in Mumbai

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, on Thursday, 6 March, visited the Dharavi leather hub in Mumbai and interacted with leather industry workers.

The visit was aimed at understanding the challenges faced by the leather hub workforce, the Congress leader said.

Among the manufacturing units Gandhi visited is Chamar Studio, set up by Sudheer Rajbhar.

Dharavi is one of the largest leather hubs in the world, with thousands of leather manufacturing units, employing more than 1 lakh workers.

Gandhi interacted with the leather industry workers in Dharavi and sought to understand their issues. He also interacted with the entrepreneurs there.

“Sudheer Rajbhar of Chamar Studio encapsulates the life and journey of lakhs of Dalit youth in India. Extremely talented, brimming with ideas and hungry to succeed but lacking the access and opportunity to connect with the elite in his field,” Gandhi said after the visit.

“However, unlike many others from his community, he got the opportunity to build his own network. He understood the latent skill of the artisans of Dharavi and he created a brand that is recognised in the most esteemed corridors of fashion globally,” he said.

“Chamar Studio’s success highlights how traditional artisanship and modern entrepreneurship can work together so that skilled artisans get a piece of the success they build with their own hands. While working with Sudheer and his team in Dharavi today, I underscored the importance of inclusive production networks that uplift skilled workers across various sectors,” Gandhi posted on X.

“I felt it was equally important for Sudheer to share his knowledge and experience with others so we brought our friend Ramchet mochi from Sultanpur to meet him and understand how design and innovation can transform his business.

Gandhi said he spoke in the Lok Sabha about how a prosperous India can only be built through “production and participation”.

“Chamar Studio’s success shows this model works — and I hope we can replicate such a model all over India,” he said.

During his visit Gandhi received leather bags and wallets as presents for him and his family from the leather industry workers.