This is a terrific Budget and an important step toward the vision of Viksit Bharat. The dedicated incentives for sports goods manufacturing, innovation, research and development are particularly welcome. These measures will help reduce dependence on imports, enable competitive pricing, and encourage leading sports equipment brands to invest in greater innovation across their product range.
The Budget 2026 also prioritizes modernizing infrastructure through public-private partnerships, crowding in investments for training facilities ahead of events like the 2036 Olympics bid. It builds on the Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry’s allocation, promoting sustainable ecosystems from school talent identification to world-class venues.
In addition, the Budget’s focused push for MSMEs, through targeted credit support and growth-enabling schemes, will be a major boost for the sports goods ecosystem, as most Indian sports equipment manufacturers operate within the MSME framework. Even emerging sports platforms like KheloMore fall under this category. Strengthening MSMEs through this route will help scale domestic manufacturing and innovation, while also aligning seamlessly with the Khelo India Mission’s objective of building a strong sports pipeline from the grassroots to elite levels. By making quality equipment more accessible and affordable, these measures will support wider participation and reinforce India’s long-term sporting ambitions.
