Sports Industry

An Overview

The sports goods industry of India is nearly a century old and holds a prominent position in the global market. The industry has flourished, driven by a skilled workforce hence known for its role in creating employment and contributing to the country’s economy. India currently manufactures more than 300 sports-related goods such as toys, video game consoles and articles, festive and carnival articles, gymnastics and sportswear goods, fishing articles, outdoor games, toys, etc.

Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Jammu, and West Bengal are among India’s top sports goods-producing states. Among these, Jalandhar City in Punjab, and Meerut City in Uttar Pradesh account for about 75-80% of the total production in the country.

60% of Indian sporting goods are exported and around 500,000 people are employed in the sports goods manufacturing sector in India. According to a Deloitte-Google report, sports goods market was valued at US$ 52 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach US$ 130 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 14%.

There are seven significant sports goods manufacturing cities in India. Given their experience, Jalandhar and Meerut, two cluster cities for the manufacturing of sports products, host more than 38,200 manufacturing units, accounting for approximately 75-80% of domestic output. The majority of sports and fitness products are currently made by micro, small and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs).

The global sports goods industry is highly competitive owing to the presence of many established multinational players. Most of the production of sports goods is outsourced to the Asia-Pacific region, making it one of the world’s largest sports goods manufacturing regions. India exported sports goods worth US$ 400.1 million in FY25.

Export Trend

India exports all kinds of sporting goods such as toys, recreational games, puzzles, video games, parlour and billiard games, casino articles, festive, carnival and entertainment articles, gymnastic articles, swimming and outdoor games equipment, fishing and hunting equipment, swings, circus, shooting gallery and fairground amusement articles. During FY26 (April-June), India exported sporting goods worth US$ 102.97 million.

During FY25, India exported sporting goods of total worth US$ 400.1 million, an increase of 7.97% over the previous year’s exports valued at US$ 370.55 million. Major exported items are gymnastic/athletic requisites, cricket equipment, football equipment, nets, general exercise equipment, boxing equipment, toys and games, protective equipment, sportswear, carrom boards, and hammocks.

India is one of the leading international sourcing destinations for inflatable balls and other sports goods for global brands such as Mitre, Lotto, Umbro, and Wilson. During FY23, gymnasium/athletic requisites, and cricket equipment each contributed 4% to exports, while football equipment and water surfing boards accounted for 2% and 1% of exports. Between 2010-2020, India has grown its competitiveness in exports of articles and equipment for table tennis, tennis, badminton, and similar rackets, with a thirty-fold increase in exports. In 2019, India’s share in the global market for tennis products increased to 1.2%.

Export Destinations

India, the third-largest manufacturer in Asia, has become a big participant in the athletic goods market and has made great strides in enhancing its soft power. India exports a wide range of athletic items to over 200 nations, including the US, China, the UK, and Australia. Items include inflatable balls, general exercise equipment, cricket gear, clothing, and more. Sports goods exported to the USA in FY25 amounted to US$ 137 million. During FY26 (April-June), exports to the US stood at US$ 39 million, the UK stood at US$ 12 million, Australia stood at US$ 9 million, Germany stood at US$ 6 million, and the Netherlands stood at US$ 4 million.

As per India Exim Bank analysis, the UK is the largest importer of India’s export of Tennis balls, inflatable balls, and other balls (excl. golf balls, and table tennis balls), followed by Australia and UAE in the same order of exports.

For festive article exports, the USA is the major importer with a significant share of the overall exports. UAE is one of the key importers of articles and equipment for table tennis, tennis, badminton, and similar rackets commanding a major share of the total exports. India’s exports of Water Sports Equipment have significant demand from countries like Spain and Sri Lanka. India’s exporters actively tap developing countries like Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Chile, Columbia, Argentina, Nigeria, Peru, and Ecuador, which have significant demand for sports equipment and supplies.

The sports goods industry in India is nearly a century old and has flourished due to the skills of its workforce. Being labour-intensive in nature, the industry provides employment to more than 500,000 people. The nucleus of this industry in India is in and around the states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

Jalandhar in the state of Punjab and Meerut in the state of Uttar Pradesh account for nearly 75 per cent of total production.
Together, the two towns house more than 3,000 manufacturing units and 130 exporters.
The Indian sports goods industry also has a presence in the cities of Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, albeit at a lower scale.

In 2014–15, the UK, the US, the UAE, 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 other export destinations.

Inflatable balls, cricket bats & leg pads, cricket protective equipment, rugby balls, sports nets and gymnasium & athletics equipment accounted for about 35 per cent share of the total sports goods exports, as of 2014–15.

Indian sports products have been exported for global events. For the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Jalandhar supplied 80,000 soccer balls, whereas Meerut supplied training and practice kits such as free-kick dummies, corner flags, cone markers and linesmen flags.

India has emerged as the leading exporter of inflatable balls and other sports goods to international brands such as Mitre, Lotto, Umbro and Wilson.

India’s share of the global sports goods export market is expected to grow manifold, with the country establishing the credibility of its goods in the international market. Indian sporting goods are well known around the world and have made a mark in the global sports goods market. The industry exports nearly 60 per cent of its total output to sports-loving people the world over.

The sports goods market in India was valued at US$ 2 billion in 2012-13. The market is growing as 35-40 per cent a year and is expected to reach US$ 3.6 billion by 2015. The growth is expected on account of increasing awareness about health and fitness in the country.
India exported sports goods worth around US$ 256 million in 2013-14 as compared to US$ 214.95 million in 2012-13 and registering a growth of about 19 per cent.
The major items exported includes inflatable balls, cricket bats general exercise equipments, sports nets and protective equipment for cricket.

The most interesting factor is that the land of Sports Engineering, United Kingdom is the major importer of Indian sports goods. It shows India’s ability to grow as a sporting super power.

The sports goods industry of India has its roots in Sialkot, Pakistan.After 1947, many of Sialkot’s skilled Hindu craftsmen migrated across the border into Punjab, settling in Jalandhar, where the Indian sports goods industry is now based.

The sports goods industry in India has witnessed a phenomenal growth over the past five decades and now occupies a place of prominence in the Indian economy in view of its massive potential for employment, growth and export. There has been an increasing emphasis on its planned development, aimed at optimal utilisation of resources for maximising the returns, particularly from exports. Most of India’s sports goods are exported to all over the world.

The Indian sports goods industry manufactures major items that are exported are inflatable balls, hockey sticks and balls, cricket bats and balls, boxing equipment, fishing equipment, indoor games like carrom and chess boards and different kinds of protective equipment. The Indian sports goods industry is a highly labour intensive industry which provides employment to the weaker sections of society and also employs a large number of women.

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