AstorMueller, maker of Bugatti and Daniel Hechter, celebrates 10 years of shoe-making in India

AstorMueller, one of the largest exporters of premium shoes in the country, recently marked 10 years in India. Headquartered in Bangalore and set up in 2007, AstorMueller was one of the early movers and the first major European shoemaker in the manufacture and export of high-end shoes, even before the ‘make in India’ initiative came to the fore.
The Germany-based Group specialises in designing and crafting high-quality footwear for men and women. Known for the success and growth of Bugatti and Daniel Hechter shoes in the European markets, AstorMueller today crafts shoes that define trends.
From a meagre 400,000 pairs back then, the company now produces 4 million pairs of shoes in India – almost all of which are exported to Europe (figures are 2016-17).
Europe’s latest styles, made in India
India is the largest producer of Bugatti and Daniel Hechter shoes for AstorMueller, operating with a network of production facilities in Agra, Ambur, Vellore, Ranipet, and Dewas.
AstorMueller is accredited with having contributed immeasurably to the Indian shoe industry, by introducing advanced German techniques, systems and processes, enabling both scale and quality to take a quantum leap.
Said Consul/ Head of Administration, German Consulate, Bangalore, Uwe Hahn, “AstorMueller is the ideal symbol of German-Indian collaboration in an industry that plays an important role in people’s everyday lives. A German company contributing to the development of the manufacturing sector in India, making shoes of the highest quality, is a strong indication of where we can go in the future.”
AstorMueller India is an enterprise comprising 280 people, and the Group’s ambition to truly ‘make in India’ has equipped regional supply partners with the latest manufacturing know-how and technologies, ensuring quality on par with Europe’s most elite shoemakers – while maintaining AstorMueller’s global quality and design standards.
A journey 10 years in the making
When asked about the AstorMueller’s acknowledgement of India’s potential more than a decade ago, Vice Chairman, Council of Leather Exports, Aqeel Ahmed, said, “If people trust you, they will do business with you. AstorMueller trusted India and they did business with India. Today, India produces 4 million pairs of shoes annually for them and I congratulate them on this achievement.”
Executive Director, Council of Leather Exports, Ramesh Kumar, spoke of AstorMueller’s success in satisfying global demands with India as a manufacturing hub, which has proved that state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities for multinational brands have a home in India. He stressed that this is not only impressive from a business perspective, but is also encouraging for other international brands who want to ‘make in India’.
Chairman, AstorMueller, Tim Mueller, commenting on the milestone, said, “From the beginning, we have only used the finest materials carefully chosen and sourced from around the world. The objective is then to combine these materials with our own design expertise and technical knowhow. Finally, with the craft-making tradition that India is famous for, we craft our shoes to a state of perfection. We proudly say we have Indian DNA.”