Agra Footwear Manufacturers & Exporters Chamber

If you go to Sanjay Place and find Friends Tower, we are up on the second floor at S-6. The sign might be a bit faded, but we’re there. The Agra Footwear Manufacturers & Exporters Chamber has been around for ages because footwear is what this city does. Our office is usually filled with the smell of tea and the sound of people talking about leather prices or shipping delays. We aren't the ones actually making the shoes—we leave that to the people in the factories—but we handle all the talk and rules that go around it. It’s a lot of paperwork and dealing with export regulations which can be a real headache some mornings. We sit in these old chairs and try to help the local manufacturers get their goods across the borders. It’s a busy place, especially when there’s a big trade show coming up. We don’t have fancy carpets or modern art on the walls. It’s just shelves of folders and some old photos of the city. We’ve got a small team, and we all know each other’s families by now. Working in 41-B Block puts us right in the middle of everything. We spend our days making sure the interests of the shoe people here are looked after. It’s simple, honest work that keeps the local economy moving a little bit. We’re just a bunch of people who know a lot about the shoe business.