India’s leather looks good on luxury products

Leading auto manufacturers such as BMW and Volkswagen are in discussion with Stanley Lifestyle Ltd., Chennai, India, to ramp up its production of upholstery-grade leather, following General Motors and Ford into the Indian leather market. Stanley entered into a joint venture with an Italian firm to start a tannery in Ranipet, India’s leather hub, to produce OEM upholstery. The company also owns furniture stores featuring seating products such as Arper, Iterby, Calligaris and La-Z-Boy, and plans to expand from 10 to 15 retail outlets for “the aspirational consumer,” says Sunil Suresh, CEO of Stanley Lifestyle.