Driving Economic Growth and Exporting Excellence
As a nation developing at an unprecedented pace, the need for sporting goods in India has been increasing rapidly and steadily. The industry thrived, fueled by a talented workforce who are consequently known for their role in creating jobs and contributing to the country’s economy. 60 percent of Indian sporting goods are exported and around 500,000 people are employed in sporting goods manufacturing in India.
The sporting goods industry is highly competitive due to the presence of numerous established multinational companies worldwide. India has made significant strides in strengthening its soft power and has become a major player in the sporting goods sector and ranks as the third largest manufacturer in Asia. India exports a variety of sporting goods including inflatable balls, general training equipment, cricket equipment, sportswear and more to over 200 countries including the US, China, UK and Australia. Big international brands like Miter, Umbro and Wilson source their inflatable balls and other sporting goods from India. In FY22, India was the second largest bicycle manufacturer in the world and the export value of bicycles and related components from India reached over USD 461 million.
The government aims to turn India into a global sports powerhouse with long-term impacts on health, education and tourism by implementing mega sports infrastructure projects and encouraging investment through the public-private partnership (PPP) model. In order to boost the sporting goods manufacturing sector, the government established the Sports Goods Export Promotion Council (SGEPC) which is dedicated to promoting Indian sporting goods exports. SGEPC regularly organizes both international and domestic trade events to provide Indian manufacturers with insight into global market trends and a platform to showcase their products. The Market Access Initiative (MAI) program and the Remission of Dutys and Exported Products (RoDTEP) program were established to encourage the export of Indian goods and services.
In recent years, India has seen an influx of sports-focused startups. With the growing importance of sport, many entrepreneurs have ventured into the industry to cater to the needs of athletes and sports enthusiasts. These start-ups attract investment from venture capitalists and other investors and contribute to the growth of the sports industry. The sports sector in India is expected to continue to grow through startups as the market is still in its early stages. These startups offer a range of services such as online ticketing, betting games, and providing quality sports and fitness products and equipment. These sports startups are primarily focused on providing sports related services and products to the people of the country.
The Indian sporting goods market is projected to grow from $3.9 billion to $6.6 billion by 2027. 2020-21. The major sporting goods manufacturing clusters will play an important role in achieving growth targets. India consists of 7 major sporting goods manufacturing cities. Sporting goods manufacturing cluster cities Jalandhar and Meerut account for about 82 percent of the total production and are home to more than 3000 manufacturing units and 130 exporters due to their expertise. Currently, most sports and fitness items are manufactured by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The Indian sports industry has come a long way from being a mere supplier of simple sports equipment to a full-fledged manufacturer of world-class sporting goods. With advances in technology, the sector will be able to produce innovative products that meet the needs of sports enthusiasts around the world. The increasing global demand for sports equipment represents a great opportunity for the Indian sports industry to make a name for itself on the world stage.