Ashwani Kumar, Director, Marketing Operations, Arnawali (India) Exim Pvt. Ltd., Meerut is a marketing honcho driving the growth strategy of the company by focusing on market development and steering sales in domestic and international markets. Arnawali focuses on manufacturing sports and fitness equipment since 2014. The company presently operates from a retail store and having a good presence in e-commerce business with registered brands Arnawali Sports & Sangpro. With a fair number of dependable factories of sports goods in their portfolio, Arnawali consistently tries to improve quality and timely delivery of products. Ashwani has done MBA from Institute of Productivity and Management, Meerut. In a candid interview with T.I.W, he shares insights of sports goods industry in India.
#1. What’s the status of Indian sports goods industry?
Indian sports goods industry is over 100 years old and most of the manufacturing centres are established in and around cities like Jalandhar, Meerut, Delhi, Mumbai, Agra, Moradabad, Chennai, Jammu, and Calcutta. Meerut and Jalandhar together capture around 75%-80% of the total production pie. The major export countries are US, UK, Germany, and France. Domestic market is equivalent to the export market in money value. The future of Indian sports industry looks promising with the rising popularity of sports and increasing demand both, in domestic as well as in the international markets. The Indian sports and fitness goods market has attained a value of USD 3,944.8 million in 2020. The market is further estimated to witness a compounded annual growth rate of 8.9% during the forecast period of 2021-2026 to reach USD 6,579.5 million by 2026.
#2. What changes are visible in society with reference to sports and fitness?
The perception towards sports and fitness in Indian society has been evolving. Asiad 1982 and Cricket World Cup 1983 were the major turning points in the India’s sports history that altogether transformed the perception of society towards sports and personal fitness. Today, aspirations for sports and fitness are running high in the adrenalin of youth. Most of the young boys and girls are opting for sports as a career.
#3. What impact do you see in sports after India’s success in Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic 2021?
I can clearly foresee a tectonic shift in the individual sports and track games after the recent Olympic success of India. Primarily, this will encourage sport enthusiasts and aspiring sports person to endeavour to play at national and international levels. Moreover, the government may bring in policies to develop infrastructure and facilities across the country for improving the training programs of sports persons.
#4. How are Arnawali sports products performing in the market?
Our products on cricket, football, badminton, and health & fitness are performing well both in the domestic and international markets. Demand of personal gym equipment and accessories are also doing well. However, cricket sports goods still capture the lion’s share in our sports product portfolio.
