The story
Sports goods making in Meerut grew after Partition, when craftsmen from Sialkot settled here and restarted their trade. Today the city and villages around it make almost every kind of sports equipment, from cricket gear and shuttlecocks to fitness equipment and sportswear. A few large brands work with a wide network of small units and home-based artisans.
In numbers
According to data from the Meerut District Industries Centre, 9,720 sports-related MSME units generated a turnover of approximately Rs 1,852 crore in 2025-26, while annual exports stand at around Rs 975 crore.
Down To Earth: Meerut's sports cluster needs Centre's support for a just transition · 2026More than 300,000 artisans, women workers and small entrepreneurs are associated with the Meerut sports cluster.
Down To Earth: Meerut's sports cluster needs Centre's support for a just transition · 2026Meerut exported sports goods (HSN 9506) worth USD 66.01 million in 2021-22, second only to Jalandhar, and is identified under 'Districts as Export Hubs' for sports goods.
DGCI&S Kolkata: A Brief Report on India's Exports of Toys, Games and Sports Requisites · 2025
Ways in for a newcomer
- Job work in bat finishing, ball stitching and shuttlecock assembly
- Supplying willow, leather, feathers and packaging
- Own-brand sports gear for e-commerce and school buyers
- Sportswear stitching and printing
Problems the cluster faces
- Air-pollution rules and NCR restrictions affect operations
- Most units are household-based with little capital
- Imported willow and raw materials raise costs
- Strong competition from Sialkot and China in export markets
Businesses to start here
Cricket Bats →PVC Cricket Bat and Ball Making →Leather Cricket Ball Making →Cricket Batting Gloves Unit →Feather Shuttlecock Making →Badminton Racket Making →Hockey Stick Manufacturing →Sports Footwear Unit →Track Suit Stitching →