New Delhi [India], September 12 (ANI): Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya stressed the importance of sports manufacturing and creating an ecosystem for the same throughout the country.

Mandaviya was speaking at the Playcom Business of Sports Summit 2025. IOA president PT Usha was also there at the event.

Speaking at the event, Mandaviya spoke about sports manufacturing and talent identification.

'Sports manufacturing is the most important thing. How do we create an ecosystem for the same? We need to have a work culture and need to have talent identification at the grassroot level. We have a Khelo India centre in every district,' he said.

The Indian sports goods sector is valued at USD 4.88 billion (Rs 42,877 crore) in 2024 and is projected to grow to USD 6.6 billion (Rs 57,800 crore) by 2027 and Rs 87,300 crore by 2034. The sector provides employment to over 5 lakh people, primarily in MSME clusters at Meerut, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Delhi-NCR. India is the third-largest sports goods manufacturer in Asia and the 21st-largest exporter globally, with exports worth USD 523 million in 2023-24 to more than 90 countries. Major export destinations include the USA, UK, Australia, Germany, and France, with opportunities expanding in South Africa, the UAE, Canada, and Sweden, as per a sports ministry press release.

Mandaviya also spoke on the recently introduced National Sports Governance Bill and how 'beneficial' it will be for sports.

'India is a diverse country. We need to have good governance. As a sports minister, when I took charge, most federations used to complain about each other. We have women's participation in sports everywhere now,' he added.

Mandaviya also pointed out that earlier, parents used to discourage their children from playing sports, but now, both academics and sports are equally encouraged.

'Ever since PM Modi became PM in 2014, he introduced the Khelo India scheme, and that brought a culture of sports,' he added.

Under the Khelo India policy, several multi-sport competitions are held at many levels and categories, such as the Khelo India Youth Games, Khelo India University Games, Khelo India Winter Games, Khelo India Para Games and the inaugural Khelo India Beach Games, which took place this year.

These competitions have helped in the development and identification of talent which could represent India at the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, etc, for years to come. The policy has also led to a chain of world-class sporting facilities developed across India, named the Khelo India Centres of Excellence.

The Sports Minister also said that PM Modi wants India to be among the 'top five sporting nations of the world'. He also stressed that if a player has a ticket collector job, he should put more energy into playing.

Speaking on the Fit India Sundays on Cycle initiative, Mandaviya said that it has become a 'movement'.

'There is a record registration towards it. India needs to have a sporting culture. India's every street should be a playground. Modiji says if one person takes a step, then he goes ahead, but if one nation of 1.4 billion takes one step, then it becomes a movement,' he added.

PT Usha, who was also present at the event, recalled missing out on the bronze medal in the Los Angeles Olympics 2024 'by 1/100th of a second'.

'For everyone it was a defeat, but for me it was a message to the world that an Indian woman can stand shoulder to shoulder with the world,' she continued.

On a concluding note, Usha said that India should not only excel in cricket and a handful of sports, but also in athletics, gymnastics, swimming, etc.

'No child in India should be denied to play and dream,' she concluded. (ANI)