The Rs 600 crore sports goods industry of Jalandhar believes the people’s inclination towards games will increase with the CWG success, which will boost the local industry.
They expect that various local sports associations and clubs will now procure from the domestic industry. Manufacturers added that with the Cricket World Cup scheduled to be held next year, they expect that it will further boost the industry.
Sports Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association Chairman Raghunath Rana told Business Standard, “We are expecting good orders from sport bodies, clubs and sports associations.”
Jalandhar contributes 50-60 per cent of India’s total sports goods exports, while the rest is contributed by Meerut and other towns. Last year exports from Jalandhar amounted to Rs 350-400 crore.
Further, with recovery in foreign markets and the success of the Games, the industry is expected to see positive growth in the current fiscal year. Last year exports were affected due to the slowdown. “The last six months of the current fiscal year have been pretty good for the industry, and we expect positive numbers in the current fiscal year,” said Munish Chopra, director of Jalandhar-based Chopra Synthetic Rubber Udyog, the world’s largest supplier of rugby balls, branded ‘Webb Ellis’.
Echoing similar sentiments, Rajhans International, managing director, Ashutosh Wadhwa said that the government should help the industry undertake R&D, so that it can compete at the global level.