Central Leather Research Institute, India was established on 24 April, 1948. It was a big decision of the country born at the mid- night of 15th August 1947, to invest into leather research. In 1947, the export basket of India included mostly raw hides and skins. There remained an untapped opportunity for India in leather sector for economic development, employment generation and export earnings. The missing link was addition of technology to the manufacturing base of Indian leather sector. CLRI was founded to develop an internal strength in the country to generate, assimilate and innovate technologies for leather sector.

The Central Leather Research Institute, a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, enjoys a pivotal role in Human Resource Development for leather. Established in 1948 in the academic village of Chennai, CSIR-CLRI has supported the leather industry's growth over the decades through design, development and delivery of knowledge. CSIR-LRI has played a major role in the symbiotic development of the trinity, academy - research - industry. This institute is organically linked to both Anna University and leather industry. Today CSIR- CLRI offers academic programmes in collaboration with Anna University with includes BTech, MTech, PhD, MS (by research) and Post - Doctoral degrees. CSIR - CLRI offers doctoral degrees in association with University of Madras also. VSIR - CLRI is also hosting skill development programmes for the needy artisans in different leather trades pan India with financial support from various institutions, this catering to the skilled manpower requirements of the leather industry.

CSIR - CLRI is one of the apex bodies for Human Resource Development in Leather Sector. CSIR - CLRI has been functioning as the National Monitoring Unit (NMU) to monitor the human resource activities sponsored by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) (Ministry of Commerce and Industry).

The main production centres for leather and leather products manufacture in India are the following:

• Tamil Nadu: Chennai, Ambur, Ranipet, Vaniyambadi, Trichy and Dindigul
• West Bengal: Kolkata
• Uttar Pradesh: Kanpur, Unnao, Banther, Agra and Noida
• Punjab: Jalandhar

Tamil Nadu accounts for about 40% of India's exports and has about 60% of tanning capacity.

It is one matter to design and develop technologies but entirely another to reach viable technologies in a traditional sector like leather. CLRI in 1948, made an initiative with foresight to link technology system with both academy and industry. CLRI assumed the role of being a part of the University of Madras in imparting education in leather technology. The seed sown in 1948 has now grown into a tree with nearly 60% of the industry in India being manned and managed by the Alumni of CLRI.