India’s sportech market at around US $ 1.17 million is minimal as compared to the country’s population size. Therefore, the focus should be on developing this sector to meet domestic needs with indigenously produced quality sports textile products and accessories. The recent years have witnessed the birth of many Indian brands in the sports sector, however, most of these brands are into the athleisure market, thus, the need of the hour is to expand the focus of these brands toward high-performance specialised sports textile materials.
This was the major takeaway from a full-day National Conclave on Sportech on the theme ‘The Future of Sport Textiles and Accessories Industry in India’.
The event was organised by The Ministry of Textiles (MOT) in partnership with Indian Technical Textiles Association (ITTA) and Wool Research Association (WRA).
As per the information shared by MOT, more than 300 participants attended the conclave including officials and representatives from Central Ministries, user Departments (sportech) of Central and State Governments, Institutes, industry leaders, scientific experts, researchers, and professionals related to technical textiles especially sportech along with around 16 exhibitors.
There is a need for creating synergy amongst various stakeholders in the sportech sector, including Ministry of Textiles, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, sports industry, among others.
Darshana Vikram Jardosh, Minister of State for Textiles highlighted that India is an emerging player in sports textiles, with tremendous scope for growth in the coming years.
She mentioned that the government has significant focus on creating sports culture in India through its flagship schemes such as Khelo India, Fit India Movement, Target Olympic Podium Scheme, etc. This would support enhancing the penetration of sports textiles in the country.
Rachna Shah, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, stated that the growing interest in sporting activities, health consciousness among people, and rising demand for athleisure, among others have been creating a huge potential for sports goods, sports textiles and accessories in India. She opined that to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the sports industry, the companies need to focus on research, product development, innovation, and sustainability.
She suggested that all the stakeholders must work together to create an enabling environment that supports the growth of the sportech industry in India.
Rajesh Kr. Pathak, Secretary, Technology Development Board, highlighted that there is a need to facilitate and have confidence in various scientists and researchers working on product and technology development in technical textiles, including sportech. This will catalyse the development of the entire ecosystem of technical textiles in India.
Amit Agarwal, Chairman, ITTA, highlighted that the coming years would create significant demand for sportech products in India on the back of rising health consciousness, India’s hosting of 2036 Olympics Games and the Government’s strong focus and vision towards enhancing entire ecosystem of technical textiles.