Kamal Nath urges sports goods industry to build brands

New Delhi, Dec 18 (UNI) Union Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath today called upon sports goods industry entrepreneurs to build brands for enhancing products' value.

Speaking at the export awards function organised by the Sports Goods Export Promotion Council (SGEPC) here, he urged the industry to derive maximum mileage from the 2010 Commonwealth Games and work hard for cultivating global standards.

Congratulating the award winners, the Minister hoped the industry would conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis on the potential of this sector and draw a roadmap to evolve growth strategies for the future.

"The major strengths of our industry are its people - the dynamic entrepreneurs and the skilled labour force at relatively cheaper costs.The skilled force was born out of India's age-old nurtured and mastered skills in the areas of metal processing, leather crafts, wood crafts and a host of other activities directly connected with the growth of this sector", he said.

Stating that sports goods sector has been full of milestones, he, however, said future seems to be more exciting than the past.

"The government on its part intends to ensure full support for the facilitation of further growth and development of this sector. The infrastructure development is likely to get more focus and this coupled with incentives and promotional schemes will provide the impetus to the exporting community to finally arrive on the world stage", he added.

UNI