Hyderabad:Experts from the government, industry, and academia discussed innovations and challenges, with a focus on meeting global safety norms, at a symposium on safety footwear and standards at the Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) here on Tuesday.
Start-ups working on eco-friendly safety footwear and experts addressing the needs of heavy industries and defence were at the forefront of discussions. Dr Narsimhugari Tej Lohit Reddy, FDDI executive director, provided an overview of safety footwear and pointed to its increasing importance in industrial and personal safety.
Prince Joseph spoke on developments, including durable materials and smart designs tailored to specific industries. A presentation by Sattu Savitha from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) shed light on regulatory aspects and how they compare internationally.
Representing the Council for Leather Exports, Rehan Ajman focused on the industry's perspective. He discussed how manufacturers are adapting to both domestic and global demands. The event also featured a session by Dr K. Veera Brahmam, a scientist from DRDO, who offered insights into the role of safety footwear in defence operation, construction, mining and heavy industries.
An important moment at the event was the presentation by Earth Tunes, a start-up focusing on sustainable safety footwear solutions. Company founder Santosh, spoke on his vision for balancing innovation and environmental responsibility. Research inputs came from Dr Aruna, senior principal scientist at CSIR-IICT, who spoke on materials research for improved safety footwear design.
The symposium also included several interactive elements like poster presentations that allowed students to showcase their ideas on improving safety footwear, while the institute’s International Testing Lab demonstrated its quality assurance processes.
FDDI senior faculty Srinivasan acknowledged the contributions of experts and participants and the importance of continued dialogue in the safety footwear domain.
