SportEdge Meerut Sports and Entrepreneurship Development for Growth & Excellence unites the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, SPEFL-SC, the British Asian India Foundation (BAIF), NEST and local stakeholders. The model combines government support, industry expertise, CSR funding and NGO networks to deliver technical training, operational improvements and market linkages.
The programme emphasises measurable outcomes: scaling 1,000 women-led nano-enterprises, directly supporting over 5,000 nano-entrepreneurs via BAIF and NEST interventions, and improving real incomes by a targeted 25% for participating enterprises.
Skills, Centre of Excellence and industry linkages
Shri Chaudhary inaugurated a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in sports goods manufacturing a badminton racket unit at Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut. Backed by SPEFL-SC and industry contributors, the CoE will provide hands-on training in advanced production techniques, quality control and product design, while strengthening industry–academia collaboration.
The CoE will particularly encourage participation of women in skilled manufacturing roles and aim to produce export-ready product standards and improved design capabilities for local firms.
Strategic pillars and market focus
SportEdge rests on four pillars: comprehensive industry and market assessment; sustainable livelihoods and entrepreneurship; local talent development; and gender equity. Authorities will identify three to five priority sports for the Meerut cluster and design targeted value chains to enhance competitiveness and export potential.
Officials say the programme will benchmark Meerut against successful domestic and international sports hubs to accelerate market access and enhance product quality across cricket, badminton and other equipment segments.
Economic impact and women-led enterprises
The initiative aims to formalise local micro-suppliers, open pathways to finance, and ensure a minimum annual earning of ₹1 lakh per supported entrepreneur. BAIF and NEST’s capacity-building efforts will target product formalisation and market linkages so women-led nano-enterprises can scale and access new buyers.
Authorities project job creation, higher export readiness and improved tax revenues from a strengthened sports-goods ecosystem centred in Meerut.
Local funding and grassroots infrastructure
Members of Parliament and local legislators will contribute via Local Area Development Funds to build and upgrade grassroots sports infrastructure across the district. The combined investments are intended to fast-track community participation, training programmes and local competitions that feed into the broader SportEdge ecosystem.
Why Meerut matters
Meerut has a long history as a sports-goods manufacturing cluster with skilled artisans and a ready supply chain. SportEdge seeks to convert legacy craftsmanship into a technology-enabled, export-capable hub that meets global quality standards and supports India’s ambition in the sports economy.