As covered by Salil,Chawla, Director DFU Publications in the capacity of delegate yesterday "National Conference on Technical Textiles" organised by PHDCCI. Excerpts from Dr Manisha Mathur · Textile Expert, Technical Expert-WRA.
Address at the National Conference on Technical Textiles
One of the defining opportunities before India today lies in the field of advanced textiles—smart fabrics, sustainable materials, and manufacturing innovation. These are no longer peripheral developments; they are becoming decisive competitive advantages for nations aspiring to lead the global sports and performance apparel industry.
As India aims to emerge as a global sports manufacturing powerhouse, an important question arises: How can the sports textile ecosystem simultaneously enhance athletic performance while strengthening indigenous manufacturing capabilities?
Before discussing how to scale the ecosystem, we must first understand where India stands today.
The country already possesses a strong manufacturing foundation. We have well-established sports goods and sportswear manufacturing clusters in regions such as Meerut, Jalandhar and other industrial hubs, which together employ more than five lakh people and form the backbone of India’s sports manufacturing ecosystem.
The growth prospects are equally encouraging. According to industry estimates, India’s sports equipment market was valued at approximately USD 2.57 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach nearly USD 5.09 billion by 2033, registering a healthy compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 9%.
Several factors are driving this remarkable growth:
Rising fitness awareness and increasing focus on healthier lifestyles.
Expansion of organised sports across the country.
Stronger school and university sports programmes.
Growth of organised retail and e-commerce for sports products.
Government initiatives such as Khelo India, which are encouraging sports participation and infrastructure development.
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