New Delhi, April 5, 2017: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Footwear Design and Development Institute Bill, 2017, which seeks to establish and declare the Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) in Uttar Pradesh's Noida as an institution of national importance.

Apart from this, it also aims to facilitate and promote teaching, training and research in all disciplines relating to design and development of footwear and leather products.

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"There are seven such institutes functional in different parts of the country which will be declared institutions of national importance," Commerce and Industry Minister Narmala Sitharaman said while replying to a debate over the bill.

"The initiative will help promote and development of research activities in leather industries. Five more institutes of national importance will come up soon in different parts of the country," she said.

Ensuring that there will be no shortage of raw materials for the leather industries, Sitharaman said that these institutes will soon provide self-financing courses. (IANS)