समाचार Samāchār · India · 28 October 2026

Cabinet backs a ₹1,857 crore plan to make India a sports goods supplier to the world

The Khelo India Sports Goods Manufacturing Scheme runs to 2033–34. It pairs dedicated manufacturing zones with output-linked support and help with global certification.

India has decided to make what the world plays with. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the Khelo India Sports Goods Manufacturing Scheme. The outlay is ₹1,856.67 crore for 2026 to 2033–34. The scheme was announced in the Union Budget 2026–27. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the decision after the Cabinet met.

The money is built around clusters. Sports Goods Manufacturing Zones will put manufacturers, suppliers, testing labs, design and prototyping centres and ancillary firms in one place. They will use existing infrastructure under the BHAVYA scheme and NICDC industrial parks. Anchor Investment Support will bring domestic and global manufacturers, brands and retail chains into the zones. Turnover Linked Support will reward higher output and new capacity. The two components carry ₹1,130 crore between them.

The rest goes to the less visible work. Existing MSME clusters get help to upgrade common facilities. ₹105 crore will help manufacturers obtain and renew certification from international sports federations. Centres of Excellence will sit in leading research institutions, with R&D linked to the Anusandhan National Research Foundation. Skills will be built with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Exports will be promoted through the Export Promotion Mission. Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya wrote on X: “India Plays, India Manufactures!”

This is the right shape for a labour-intensive industry. Certification is often the gate between a good factory and a global buyer. Paying for it directly is practical. Support linked to turnover rewards output, not promises. The test is execution: land, power and approvals inside the zones on time, and Indian brands that earn shelf space abroad. Credit goes to the officials who turned a Budget line into a funded scheme. The next useful headline is the first zone notified with an anchor investor named.

What a founder takes from it: Sports goods are a jobs-heavy, export-ready industry, and India should be a supplier to the world in it. Founders in materials, equipment, testing and sports brands should map the new zones early: anchor investors and certified suppliers get chosen first.