Adesh Gupta (Born 27 June 1960) is the Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Shoes, one of India’s biggest Footwear companies since 2003. Liberty was established in the year 1954. Gupta is a Mechanical Engineering graduate (1977-82) from Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra. He specialized in Polyurethane (PU) Applications in Footwear and he pioneered PU technology for the first time in India in 1983 and helped make Liberty a leader in Domestic Market.[1] Adesh learned the shoe business from his father, the late Shri P.D. Gupta. Adesh Gupta has travelled extensively throughout India and abroad. During his overseas trips, he made in-depth studies in footwear and business technologies and choosing the appropriate ones and using best practices in own business. Meeting the burgeoning industrial requirements, Adesh has also put into place a road map for Liberty’s foray into the international markets and aggressively marketed the brand. [2] Liberty has achieved bench mark closer to the multinationals. With a string of diversification, Adesh has changed the company into a multi-product conglomerate with interests in Retailing, Automotive, Infotech, Whiteware, Chemicals, Construction and Real Estate sectors. Adesh Gupta has acted as Chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry (Northern Region).[3] He is Chairman of the Footwear Design and Development Institute (2005-08) under the aegis of Ministry of Commerce, Government of India.[4] He heads a number of Professional as well as Govt. Bodies related to Footwear Industry in various capacities. He is also actively involved in a number of religious and social organizations. Today, Liberty is the 5th largest leather footwear manufacturing company with footprints in 25 countries, i.e., Germany, Italy, France, Slovakia, Hungary, U.K., U.S.A., Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, Singapore etc. Equipped with world-class infrastructure and ultra-modern machinery, Liberty has significantly increased its exports and has obtained international certification ISO: 9002 and also EN-345 certification from PFI, Germany for safety footwear. To double the existing capacity of 75,000 pairs per day, the company has set up three more manufacturing plants, one in Himachal Pradesh and two in Uttrakhand. Further, Liberty has spread its wings in the international horizon by opening retail outlets in several countries and exporting Liberty products under its own name and brand. Liberty has a large network of 450 Exclusive Show Rooms in India, 35 in Asia, Middle-East/Gulf, 35 High End Revolution and “Shoe Factory” Stores. Liberty has a range that is one of the largest, covering every age group with 10 brands under its umbrella, namely Footfun, Gliders, Force-10, Windsor, Fortune, Freedom, Coolers, etc. The group has consistently evolved the structure and spirit to keep pace with the technological advancements and changing trends in footwear fashion and styles.Liberty’s constant innovative and upgrading approach is to give nothing but the best. Under the dynamic leadership of Adesh, Liberty has recently launched some new developments and is leading to a high growth path. Adesh has been conferred with the following awards in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the footwear industry: (1) IMM Top CEO of the Year Award, (2) Haryana Ratna Award 2004, (3) Udyog Rattan Award and (4) Best CEO Award 2005 of FIIE. Adesh married Punam Gupta in the year 1983. He has three daughters, Ashna, Vidhi and Punkhuri. Adesh has great love for games and is a keen player of Golf and Badminton. Besides having great love for nature, he is fond of reading books, listening to music and watching TV in his leisure time. Has keen interest in singing learning it since 2006. Adesh Gupta, speaks on the current scenario and future prospects of India's footwear industry. According to him, high dose of taxation and higher input costs like power have hampered the competitiveness of India's footwear industry as a result of which India accounts for a moderate share in global footwear exports. In his opinion, the economic slowdown can benefit India provided policy makers look at the domestic industry first that will then become a base for growth and a base for offering capacities to international customers.