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Almost half of India’s population is under 24.The demand for sports goods and equipment is increasing as the country takes to diverse sports. The rising popularity of various sporting leagues is also spurring the growth of this industry.

The century-old sports goods industry in India is poised for growth, riding on an abundant skilled workforce. The industry is labour-intensive and employs more than 500,000 people. The Indian sports goods sector is a major contributor to the economy.

The major hub for sports goods and equipment is in and around the states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Sansparelis Greenland (SG) in Meerut, U.P. is the leading manufacturer of cricket equipment in India. The Commercial Director of SG, said, “Every day, we make 500 pairs of pads, 800 pairs of gloves, 1,000 bats and 600 balls.” Jalandhar in Punjab and Meerut in U.P. account for nearly 75% of total production of sports equipment in India. Together, these two cities house more than 3,000 manufacturing units and 130 exporters. The industry also has a significant presence in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai.

Export market

India’s share of the global sports goods export market is expected to grow with the country establishing its credibility in the international market. At present, sports goods in the country are being exported to more than 100 markets worldwide. According to IBEF, the domestic industry exports nearly 60% of its output.

The sports goods market in India was valued at $2 billion in 2012-13. It grew to $3.6 billion in 2015. India exported sports goods worth of $ 292.8 million in 2014-15 as compared to $ 257.1 million in 2013-14 and registered a growth of about 19%.

Inflatable balls, cricket bats, pads, rugby balls, sports nets and gymnasium and athletics equipment accounted for about 35% share of the total sports goods exports in 2014–15.

In 2014–15, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, South Africa, and Germany were the major export markets for Indian sports goods. France, Poland, the Netherlands, Canada, Belgium, New Zealand, and Italy were among the other major export destinations as reported by IBEF. For the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Jalandhar supplied 80,000 soccer balls, whereas Meerut supplied training equipment such as free-kick dummies, corner flags, cone markers and linesmen flags.

International brands are increasingly occupying the market and are becoming hugely popular with the Indian youth.