Boston’s New Balance shoes now get 'made in Tamil Nadu' tag

CHENNAI: The Chennai-based Farida Group, in partnership with Taiwan’s CJ Enterprise, has begun manufacturing for New Balance, marking the $6.5 bn US sportswear brand’s first exports from India.

Chairman M Rafeeque Ahmed told DT Next that the joint venture, signed about 18 months ago, is progressing in three stages and also giving a fillip to the Boston brand exports from India for the first time. Stage 1 is a brownfield one, wherein the unit has already commenced production with 2,500 pairs of New Balance shoes.

Ahmed said as part of the second stage, a new 20,000 sq ft facility with 16 manufacturing lines will go live by January, backed by an investment of Rs 200 crore. "This will scale output to 16,000 pairs. As part of capability building, 20 technical supervisors from Farida underwent a 3-month training in Vietnam, " he said, emphasising on the learning process.

As part of the efforts to set up a greenfield project, the Rs 2,000 crore Farida is also in talks with the Tamil Nadu government for allotment of 120 acres in Tirupattur–Ambur area to establish a large-scale footwear unit. "The acquisition process is expected to be completed by the year-end. The plant, with 40 production lines and an investment of Rs 1,200 crore, will be operational in about two years," he said.

With this 120-acre proposed factory in the Ambur belt, Farida aims to replicate the scale and ecosystem that Vietnam offers, combining trained labour, modern lines, and global partnerships.

Ahmed said by stage 2 itself, the JV is expected to give a major push to Farida’s exports, adding Rs 800–1,000 crore annually.

The New Balance shoes produced by the JV will cater to domestic and export markets. They will be exported to 16 countries including the US, China and Japan, he said, in response to a query.

The move marks a significant pivot for Farida Group, traditionally known for leather footwear exports, into the sports and synthetic footwear segment, which has been witnessing double-digit global growth. It also strengthens TN's positioning as a hub for international footwear brands, aligning with India’s push to attract global manufacturing through the 'China+1' strategy.

Brand onboarded: New Balance (first-time exports from India)

JV signed: over 18 months ago

Stage 1 (Brownfield): 2,500 pairs capacity already running

Stage 2 (Expansion Factory):

20,000 sq ft facility