About Us
About Arif And Sons
Located in Kanpur, Northern India, our tannery has a legacy spanning over a century, rooted in the British-era tradition of vegetable tanning for saddlery and equestrian products. Over time, Indian tanneries have innovated and expanded their product range to cater to diverse industries, including belts, bags, and shoes.
Kanpur’s strategic location provides access to an abundance of water buffalo leather, sourced directly from nearby slaughterhouses. We prioritize sustainability by utilizing raw leather, a byproduct of the meat industry, to create high-quality leather products, thereby reducing waste and promoting eco-friendliness.
Our tannery specializes in manufacturing finished leather, catering to various finishes, including:
- Buff calf vacchetta
- Glazed
- Aniline and semi-aniline
- Crazy horse
- Crunch leather
- Oil pull-up
- Embossed leather
We also excel in producing safety shoe leather. Our monthly production capacity stands at 200,000 sqft. We supply leather to both domestic and international markets, including the USA, Canada, Europe, and Taiwan.
Our company is expanding, with plans to establish a new factory in Bantalla, Kolkata, a burgeoning tannery hub in India. Additionally, our in-house leather goods unit crafts leather bags and belts using our tanned leather, exported to Europe, Australia, and the USA.
At Arif & Sons we don’t just manufacture leather; we’re driven by a passion for creating fashion leather that meets the highest standards of quality and style.
Our Story
Our leather journey began in the 1940s when my grandfather, Mr. Abdul Ghani, joined Bata Shoe Company as a salesman. His keen interest in leather led him to source raw materials from across India, a profession he continued for 50 years. My father, Mr. Arif Ghani, later took over, starting a small trading business for finished leather. He supplied leather to bag manufacturers and eventually established our company, Arif & Sons in 1996 named after him and his four sons.
In 2006-2007, I, Kashif Ghani, completed a leather tanning course at the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) in Chennai. I joined the family business, balancing my studies with hands-on experience. My passion for tanning grew from listening to my father’s business discussions.
We focused on water buffalo leather, leveraging our location in northern India. Our tanning process improved, and we adopted 100% machine-slaughtered raw leather. We expanded our product range, quality, and customer base.
When deciding on production direction, I had two options: safety shoe leather or fashion industry leather. I chose the latter, driven by my passion for learning and experimentation. My brothers joined the business, specializing in finishing and production.
In 2015, we started sampling leather bags, and my youngest brother studied leather goods design and construction at CLRI. We expanded into finished leather and leather goods, leveraging our strong base and skilled workforce.
Today, we offer a wide range of high-quality leather products, including oily and waxy leather ranges, aniline, and embossed leathers. We export to many countries, including the USA, Germany, and China.
Tanning is an ever-evolving process, and we’re constantly learning and gaining knowledge. Our father’s experience guides us, and we’re proud to continue our family’s legacy.
