High manufacturing costs & weak branding holding back India’s sports equipment exports, says NITI Aayog

While the global sports equipment market is valued at $140 billion and growing rapidly, India’s global export share remains at just 0.5 percent, despite a sizable domestic manufacturing base. In 2024, the country exported $275 million worth of sports equipment which was concentrated in a narrow set of products like cricket equipment, inflatable balls, boxing gear and athletic/weightlifting equipment. The report identifies a combination of supply and demand side challenges behind this under-performance. On the supply side, cost disadvantages are stark. Indian manufacturers face a “10-20 percent cost disadvantage relative to China/Pakistan,” driven by high raw material costs, expensive land,…