Avenues of Indian sports to keep an eye out for

Sports in India have come a long way in the past few decades. What used to be a way to pass time among children, has become a craze for the citizens of the country. The best part is that this craze is not limited to children. Everyone from students, working-class members, to the older generation follow one or more sports in their lifetime.

It is certainly undeniable that much of this adoration for sports focused on Cricket, one of the biggest sports in the nation. The love and fans that the sport garnered were more than twice of that India’s national game, Hockey, did. So much so, that there is an entire sect, who is a skeptic of cricket, stating the national game, deserved the fame.

It is probably keeping such opinions and the nationalistic feeling in mind, that government and private corporations alike have decided to promote sports other than Cricket. A decision affirmed with the advent of professional leagues in games like Badminton, Kabbadi, Football, wrestling, and Boxing. In the span of just two-five years, each of these sports had around 15 domestic competitions.

Each of these leagues, be it Pro Kabbadi or ISL (Indian super league), have shown the well-hidden passion that Indians had for sports other than Cricket. With an ever-growing fan-base for ISL teams like Chennaiyin FC and Kabbadi players like Rahul Chaudhari, sports has a bright future not just in terms of viewer engagement, but also through flourishing businesses and startups in the field.

What are some of the avenues in sports to invest in?

The sports field is a diverse one and is not limited to athletes or players and managers. It has so many avenues that one can explore and invest in. With the current rise in the demand for sports of any kind, some of these branches are even more lucrative, like these:

Manufacture

Any sport, be it Cricket or Football, requires special equipment. From wooden bats, protective gear, to training equipment, athletes require a lot of things to improve and maintain their performance. As such, at a time when sports and its demand are at an all-time high, the need for manufacture of paraphernalia increases, as well.

However, the growth of the manufacturing industry in sports is not limited to domestic distribution alone. Almost 60% of the goods manufactured in India are exported internationally, for brands like Mitre, Umbro, and Wilson. With a labor-intensive economy, the nation is a gold mine for companies looking to set up manufacture plants and able-help.

Therefore, Indian sports manufacture industry is going to see a huge rise in demand and revenue with the advent of new leagues and the development of regional games. This increase, however, will not be limited to export alone. For, the promotion of sports, in general, within the nation will increase the participation of those interested, which in turn will increase the need for equipment.

Moreover, with the government’s ‘make in India’ initiative, an increase in domestic manufacture over import is observed in all sectors, including sports. Where over 500,000 people were employed in such manufacture plants, with a focus in the northern states like Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

Retail

Sports retail market is related to the manufacturer. The growth of the latter will result in the development of the former. The more goods are manufactures, the more they sell; of course, all this depends on the demand. However, with the current state of the sports industry, it is needless to say that there is a huge potential for the growth of both these avenues of sports in the coming years.

In the past few years, the government has joined hands with private corporations in promoting sports at a grassroots level and across the nation. The joined initiative aims to not just develop sporting talent for bringing laurel to the country, which was the case earlier. However, the collective aim is to create a sporting industry that contributes to the national revenue and GDP.

As such, an increasing number of leagues in different sports are cropping up, as well as the promotion of heritage games like Goti. This level of development leads to an increase in the demand of exclusive merchandises, not to mention the paraphernalia. Therefore, it is safe to say that sports retail is an avenue that will see a huge growth in the coming years.

Entertainment

When one comes across the entertainment, the first thing to pop in one’s mind is the array of television dramas and movies available to all. On an average, an Indian watches the variety shows on the TV, and watching sports on the days there are significant matches.

However, times are changing and an increasing number of people view sports as a source of pure entertainment. Leagues are putting more effort into promoting the game, while also ensuring audience entertainment with shows other than telecasting the matches.

The advent of such shows not only educates one about the sport but also engages their attention through elements that have nothing to do with the game. The audience engagement for such programs goes to show that entertainment avenue of sports industry has a bright present and a brighter future.

What the engagement rates also suggest is that in the coming years, sports will be on par with the rest of the entertainment industry, if not succeed it as the next big industry. With the amount of creative marketing involved in the promotion of famous leagues like IPL, ISL, and Pro Kabbadi, the prediction above is not surprising.

Conclusion

Public love and adoration is the fuel for the growth of sports, regardless of which one. The monopoly that Cricket once enjoyed is no longer present. All the different types of sports are enjoying equal fame and attention. Moreover, with initiatives to spread sports at the grassroots level and to people across the nation leads to the surge of different avenues of the industry. As such, the present time seems to be the best for startup in the fields mentioned above to rise and thrive.

International Institute of Sports Management (Iism), India’s pioneer & first of its kind institution offering sports management education is a venture of Eduhub Education Pvt Ltd, an educational initiative